An unplugged Christmas

I'm back from the mountains where there was spotty electricty, no cell or internet service, and lots and lots of beautiful snow. The drive was long. (Any drive with a 2 yr old, a 9 yr old, and a Great Dane is long, but this one was 7 hrs up and 8 hrs back.) We got back home last night.

Christmas was your typical chaos. And, I have to admit, realizing I couldn't check email or use the phone, was kind of traumatizing at first. We are so 'plugged' in all the time, ya know? But I got over my panic pretty quickly. The world didn't end just because I couldn't read or send email. And the visit turned out quite nice. No distractions. Just time with my family, and lots and lots of beautiful snow.


Hope you all had a lovely Christmas. Here's to an awesome New Year!

Happy Holidays

Today was supposed to be a travel day, but the winter storm that passed through NC. VA & WV has delayed our trip. :-( My parent's home in the mountains is currently without power, not to mention another three inches of snow fell on the interstate yesterday. It's supposed to warm up a bit and rain tomorrow, so we're hoping to leave then. And the power should (according to officials) be back on sometime later today. *fingers crossed*.

I have not finished Christmas shopping either! This has been the craziness month on record. First book debut, Thanksgiving, promoting, first book signing, holiday shopping, revisions on book 2, travel... Oy. Looking forward to spending some time with my family and working. Yep. This is a working holiday for me! Authors have said before that everything book-related seems to happen at once, and then there'll be long periods of quiet. This is definitely a time when everything is happening at once -- right smack in the middle of two holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Crazy.

So, I'll be finishing up some last minute packing, maybe a trip to the store for some gifts, and some late night revisions... Then, we'll be on the road to spend Christmas in the wintery Appalachian wonderland!

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! :D

Male sirens & blog tour thanks & giveaways

Hank seems to be intriguing a few readers out there (yay!), so the wonderfully patient Abigail of All Things Urban Fantasy and I asked Charlie to write up her thoughts on the siren, and to give a little sneak peak into what it's like to work alongside a being naturally designed to lure and entrall. And, to sweeten the deal, there's an exclusive excerpt from THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS featuring Hank at the end of the post!

Yesterday, BPOD, was a December Pick for Pocket Books SciFi/Fantasy Blog Tour Group. I just want to say thanks to Sarah and my publicist Erica for sending out books and organizing this tour. And to the particpants: THANK YOU!! for taking the time to read and review the book -- I really appreciate it. :D (And if anyone is looking for a free copy, the particpants are giving away copies!)

I also wrote a holiday-inspired guest post at A Book Blogger's Diary as part of yesterday's blog tour. It's one of my favorites, and the subject matter really means a lot to me, so I hope you'll take a look. Thanks to Rashmi for asking me to post!

Live...

...and in person. Today. At 12pm central, I'll be at Bitten by Books chatting about BPOD, writing, books, you name it. Stop by, say hi, ask questions... I'm yours for the day. ;-)

Here's the link, which goes live in just a bit: http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=14828

Bitten by Books

I love this place. The information they've accumulated on all things books, authors, paranormal -- it's staggering. So, make sure to visit Bitten by Books and browse around. And if you go today and RSVP to my author interview, chat, and giveaway that's happening all day tomorrow, you'll be entered 25 times to win a $30 Amazon giftcard or a $30 giftcard to The Pyramid Collection. (Make sure to read the rules!).

They also gave BPOD a five tombstone review!

What's your favorite mythological creature?

Tell Susan Adrian and you're entered to win a signed copy of BPOD. But the window closes at noon tomorrow, so hurry on over and check out her fabulous blog and *cough* a little interview with moi. :D

Around the web...

Charlie just did a really fun interview over at Cat & Muse. Well, except the part where she talked about shoving a nitro-gun somewhere we won't be talking about here. ;-)

And while Charlie was off having fun with Jezebel and Mel, I did my own interview at Sara's Urban Fantasy Blog. Sara's blog is great, and she's giving away an ARC of THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS, so make sure to stop by and say hello.

And this is just so cool -- BPOD was given an honorable mention in Preternatural Review's Best of Paranormal/Urban Fantasy - 2009. Thanks, Patrick! :D

And you have until Dec 15th to enter Literary Escapism's contest to win a signed copy of BPOD and a copy of J.F. Lewis's STAKED, which is an awesome read.

Book signing report

EDIT TO ADD: I'm also guest posting at Literary Escapism today, and giving away a signed copy of The Better Part of Darkness as well as the awesome Staked by J.F. Lewis.

A little late with this, but what else is new, right? :-) So my first book signing, which took place Friday night at the fabulous Barnes & Noble at Southpoint Mall in Durham, NC. was awesome. I can't tell you how nervous I was, just hoping some people would show and the store wouldn't be left with a gazillion unsold books.

My daughter and I drove to the store two hours early to met up with some friends. (And this was one time I wished I had a Blackberry or any phone that would've allowed me to get my email because my editor sent me something very special, and I was dying of curiosity!). We met our friends and ate dinner. Well, correction. They ate dinner. By the time we were seated, I only had enough time to order a sweet tea, and then it was off to the store where my critique partner and her hub were waiting for me.

The signing went extraordinarily well. We sold every book on the table and had to get a few more off the shelf. This is due to all the wonderful friends and readers who took time out of their Friday night to stop by. So THANK YOU to All. Unfortunately, we didn't get as many pictures as we would've liked, but here are two that turned out okay:

I had so much fun seeing my friends and family and meeting a few new folks. Cheri at the B&N was incredibly nice, and I'm looking forward to going back again sometime. And, when I got home, put on my jammies, and checked that email from my editor, I FREAKED out. Um, yeah. Saw my book 2 cover, and *sigh*. LOVE IT. Cannot wait to share it with you guys!

Running low

. . . on hours in the day, on energy . . . I really need to stay up an extra three or four hours a night to get everything done that needs doing. When I looked at the calendar for December last week, it looked fairly clear, and somehow, between then and now, it's nearly full. How did this happen? *sigh* And then there's Christmas shopping, decorating, traveling... You know what I want for the holidays? An extra month nestled right in the middle of December.

And I don't think that's going to happen, so moving on...

Thanks to all for visiting Sci-Fi Guy yesterday. Very cool reading the comments and answering the questions!

Once I'm done here, it's back to revisions. Aiming for a chapter per day. Accomplished that goal yesterday, but today's chapter is a bit more involved in terms of work needed, so I'm not sure how far I'll get. But it's moving along nicely. It's funny b/c when I think in broad terms of the fixes on this book, I get overwhelmed and worried, but when I get into it and go line by line, it's totally doable and I find myself feeling really good and positive. So that's my approach with this one, focusing line by line and tackling things as they come.

And I soooo need more coffee, so catch you all later . . . :-)

Release Day thoughts

The fabulous Kelly Meding and I are discussing our debut experience over at Sci-Fi Guy today. Please drop by and enter the giveaway. We'll be stopping in throughout the day to the read comments and answer questions. Should be fun!

Crazy week

Hope you all had a nice holiday. Me, I went to Golden Corral for Thanksgiving, which was odd considering that every other holiday since I can remember, has been spent with family and a home cooked meal. But, it was tasty. I ate a lot. And there was no cooking or clean up. Of course that meant there were no leftovers. *sigh*

I'm so happy that THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS is out on the shelves! Enormous thanks to everyone for their well wishes and 'book sightings' reports! You all are awesome. :D Feel like I can breathe a bit easier, settle into my role as published author, and get back to work. Right now work consists of revisions on THE DARKEST EDGE OF DAWN, and just a few guest spots/interviews to do in December.

One of those spots will be up tomorrow at the awesome Sci-Fi Guy's blog. Love his site! (And that's why I'm not posting about what release day was like here, because Kelly Meding and I will be discussing it over there. It's a neat little peek into what our debut experience was like.

At Novel Thoughts

Just popping in... Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday break. I've been interviewed by the fabulous Fatin over at Novel Thoughts today. Stop by and comment to win a signed copy of THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS.

I also gave a little intro to the book at FF&P on release day.

Happy Holiday

Hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving. Big, sloppy hugs and kisses to All for the congrats and well wishes for my debut! That's one HUGE thing I am thankful for this holiday! Stay safe!

Release Day!

Hey, that's my book up there! This one was taken by the incredibly talented author, Diana Rowland, whom I now love and adore.

This morning, I went to the Barnes & Noble in Cary, NC, met the awesome folks there, and signed stock. Was a little nervous, but not nearly as stressed as I'd been earlier this week. The book is out there, and now I feel like I can breathe and enjoy it. Everyone was so nice and receptive. We talked about the book, signings, and the genre.

And the very wonderful and lovely Sonja Foust took this pic and sent it this morning. It tickles me to no end! And I now love and adore her too. :D

I ate a McDonald's to celebrate. :D Tonight, however, I shall dine on ribeye...

And Happy Release Day to Kelly Meding. Our fantastic giveaway has now come to an end. And the winner of the $100 Amazon gift card is . . .

. . .via Kelly Meding:

All of the entries have been collected (more than 85 total). Many of them were repeats--smart folks who participated in multiple ways. All entries were tossed into a hat (okay, not really a hat, it's a large glass jar), shaken and shimmied about to ensure proper mixing. And the winner is.....

jeanette8042 For her comment on the Charlie Madigan Interview posted on Organized Chaos! Email me your information [mail (at) kellymeding.com] and we'll get that Amazon gift card out to you! Congratulations, and thank you everyone for playing along!!!

Congrats, Jeanette!!

Last milestone post & $100 up for grabs...

I feel a little sad, LOL. Wrote my last milestone post for Debuts & Reviews (formerly Fantasy Debut). The subject is reviews.

And, you have until noon today to enter the $100 2K Event giveaway! Someone is going to win a $100 Amazon giftcard!

Dame for a day...

I'm over at the fantastic Deadline Dames today talking about pre-release jitters and fear. This was a hard post to write, hard because I'm letting it all hang out -- giving a honest look about how it feels to have your first book come out. Oh, and I'm giving away CHOCOLATE!!

BPOD interview & some YA questions answered...

Hi guys!

I'm over at Fantasy Dreamers Ramblings, a most excellent book review & news site, talking a little about me, THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS, and answering a few questions on my new YA series. I'll be stopping by through out the day as well, so if you have any questions, make sure to comment and I'll answer!

Winner of the 2K Interview contest

Sorry about the mistake in drawing times. For some reason I had on my datebook Thurs/Fri v. Wed./Thur. Weird. But anyway, via random drawing, the winner of autographed copies of THREE DAYS TO DEAD by Kelly Meding and THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS by moi, and two mystery books -- that's a whopping total of four books is . . .

Dee

Yay! Just send me a mailing address and how you want the books signed (to you, to a friend, etc...) at kelly(at)kellygay.net and we'll get these shipped out!

Thanks to everyone for entering! Remember, you all are entered into our $100 giveaway just for commenting, so stayed tuned for next week's grandprize drawing!

Three for Thursday

1) Talking about writing with kids over at Mama Writers today. This was a fun post to write!

2) Will be drawing for the winner of the Evy Stone/Charlie Madigan interview later today. I made a mistake! Ack! And because of that CONTEST WILL CLOSE at 4P.M. Sorry for the confusion, was supposed to close it yesterday and pick winner today!

3) Still unsure about whether to read Charlie's story? Donna over at Fantasy Dreamers Rambling gives a little insight into the book, the characters, and her reading experience. :D

At Shy Writers today!

I'm at Shy Writers talking about one of my greatest fears. It's a bit of a personal post, but I think the subject is something others writers might be able to relate to. Thanks to fellow Pixie Chick, Becky for hosting me!

Happy news!

So those who have been following along for a while might remember me discussing, here and there, 'Le Super Secret YA' project I'd been working on.

It sold to Simon Pulse in a two-book deal, and they'll release as hardcovers. I'm enormously happy to be staying at Simon & Schuster. Pulse publishes some amazing books, and I still can't believe I'm going to be part of their list soon. As some may know, I've been writing teen characters for several years, so this is a genre that I adore reading and writing. Yay! I've already had a chance to speak with my new editor, Emilia, who is incredibly nice and loves this dark, creepy story as much as I do, and big thanks go to my agent, Miriam Kriss, with whom I hooked up with back in August.

I'll be writing under the name 'Kelly Keaton', which, if any remember, is the surname of my grandmother who passed away last year, and whom I blogged about as being one of my biggest supporters and who instilled in me a love of all things fantastical. I'm so happy to bear her name in this way.

Here are the Book details via Publisher's Marketplace:

Kelly Gay writing as Kelly Keaton's DARKNESS BECOMES HER, (GODS & MONSTERS, Book 1), in which a hardened teen on the run searches for the truth about her monstrous heritage with a group of misfit kids in a post-apocalyptic New Orleans, a city state now run by the creatures of the night, to Emilia Rhodes at Simon Pulse, in a two-book deal, for publication in Spring 2011, by Miriam Kriss at the Irene Goodman Agency (World).

I'll be talking a bit more about this book during my interview at Fantasy Dreamers Ramblings on Friday, Nov. 20th.

One week left!

OY. One week before my debut comes out. One. Week. And really that's all I can say; here, let me say it again with a big sigh: OY. Worried, excited, nervous...you name it. Did I say worried. Oh my God, I want this book to do okay... Spent all weekend and yesterday:

--Mailed out bookmarks, coverflats, and ARCs.
--Wrote two guest blog posts.
--Completed another interview.
--Worked on revisions for Book 2, which are due soon.
--Worked on the evite to all my local friends to tell them about my booksigning.

It's CRAZY here. Not to mention the fact that some big, big news landed in my lap last week... (More to come on that later).

So anyway, this is the last week before release, the last big push to let folks know the book exists. A ton of people have helped spread the word, and I'm totally indebted and very humbled. You all ROCK. Let's keep the momentum going. Last week to go!!

Some giveaways happening now:

Confessions of a Wandering Heart
Literary Escapism
Dark Faerie Tales
The 2K Event : Characters Interviews

The 2K Event presents Evy Stone!

MADE A MISTAKE IN TWITTER ANNOUNCEMENT EARLIER. CONTEST CLOSES IN 4 MIN. AT 4pM. WAS SUPPOSED TO CLOSE IT YESTERDAY & DRAW WINNER TODAY... SO DUE OT MY MISTAKE WILL KEEP IT OPEN FOR ANOTHER 3 MINUTES... REALLY SORRY!

Charlie Madigan here. It's not often I get to take a break from patrolling the dark city of Atlanta, but, damn, did I ever need one. Thank God Kelly asked me to do this because I actually got to sleep-in this morning. For once. And bigger bonus -- I get to sit down, kick back, and chat with another woman who understands the delicate art of kicking ass.

I introduce to you, Evangeline Stone, expert in blades, dispenser of justice, and learning how to live -- incredibly -- in a body not her own. Evy's story was recorded by Kelly Meding in the book, THREE DAYS TO DEAD: (Oh, and make sure to read to the end to enter a giveaway for a bunch of books!)

She’s young, deadly, and hunted—with only three days to solve her own murder…
When Evangeline Stone wakes up naked and bruised on a cold slab at the morgue – in a stranger’s body, with no memory of who she is and how she got there – her troubles are only just beginning. Before that night, she and the other two members of her Triad were star bounty hunters — mercilessly cleansing the city of the murderous creatures living in the shadows, from vampires to shape-shifters to trolls. Then something terrible happened that not only cost all three of them their lives, but also convinced the city’s other Hunters that Evy was a traitor . . . and she can’t even remember what it was.
Now she’s a fugitive, piecing together her memory, trying to deal some serious justice – and discovering that she has only three days to solve her own murder before the reincarnation spell wears off. Because in three days, Evy will die again – but this time, there’s no second chance…

* * *

C: Hi, Evy. It's so cool to meet you. I've read your story, (and besides realizing we have a lot in common), I'm full of questions, so let's get started:

I think we both can appreciate a good, challenging fight. If you had to choose from vamp, goblin, or faeries (each of equal fighting skill level) to take on gladiator style, which would it be and why?

E: Gladiator-style? Feels like I'm re-living Boot Camp graduation all over again, only with a Dreg. Okay, um…well, I'd be stupider than dirt to pick a fight with a faerie—small or not, they are sadistic little bastards when they put their minds to it. Wyatt will back me up on that. And the full-Blood vampires are way stronger than humans, which is why we never serve warrants on them alone—full Triad only for Bloods. I'd say goblin. Not only for the chance to excise some personal issues stemming from being, you know, kidnapped and tortured to death by a goblin, but it's always a fun fight. Goblins are short, but they're f***ing scrappy and fast. And goblin bites aren't fatal, like a Blood bite. Well, unless they tear out an artery or something, then it's obviously fatal.

C: I hear you’ve gotten into some pretty nasty situations: that whole troll thing – eww! Not a question. Just sayin’.

E: Yeah, that goes on the record as being something I've never done before, and I will never, ever do again. Okay, maybe I won't so absolutely never, because it did save our lives, but… *shudders*

C: So how are Pat and Dr. Thomas doing after seeing the dead rise in the morgue? Have you talked to them since scaring the living daylights out of them? Please tell me they’re not in therapy now.

E: I'll probably have to make it my business to stay as far away from that hospital as possible, just to avoid running into them. I mean, I didn't intend to freak them both out, and I have no f***ing idea how they're coping. Most people, when faced with something that can't possibly have happened to them—such as seeing a previously cold, dead body walk over and start talking to them—exist in a state of denial. They convince themselves they didn't actually see what they saw. At least, I hope they're in denial.

And I've been pretty lucky so far, to have only run into one other person, besides Alex, who knew the dead girl whose body I've possessed. And I brushed him off pretty easy. I have enough to deal with as it is without old friends coming out of the woodwork. Plus, I'm pretty sure her parents are still alive somewhere. Shit.

C: Anything you can tell us about the Owlkins? The loss of their clan was so devastating. Are the rumors of survivors really true?

E: Your guess is as good as mine, but there have to be survivors. I mean, sure, they all lived in the same apartment complex, and maybe it was at night when the attack happened and a lot of them were home or asleep, but…. Someone had to have been out, or away, or just not there.

The Owlkins themselves, or at least the few I knew, were…um, cautiously nice. They were one of the neutral Clans. They didn't bother humans, so we Triads never had to bother them back. They just didn't deserve to be slaughtered like that, and I'm kind of amazed the Assembly of Clan Elders hasn't taken the Triads to task for it. Then again, I've sort of been out of the loop for a while with the being dead thing, so I don't know. Maybe they have. Or maybe that particular shit just hasn't hit the proverbial fan yet.

C: You’ve had a pretty tough childhood, orphaned at ten, living on the streets… Can you tell us how you came to be orphaned? Any desire to locate family?

E: In some ways, I was an orphan long before my mother died. I pretty much took care of myself from the age of eight, after my mom married my stepdad, Ron, and they both fell head over heels in love with heroin. I got myself up, fed myself when there was food in the house, stole it when there wasn't, went to school, signed my own test papers, and did my own laundry. Ron left just after I turned ten and took his heroin with him. Mom lost her job, sold herself for drugs, and forgot she had a kid—if she hadn't forgotten already. Then one day she disappeared. Her body was found a week later, but it was another week before she was identified. Jane Doe hookers aren't big priorities for the cops. A social worker and a cop picked me up from school the day after and told me she was dead. I didn't have anyone to take me, so I went into the system.

And quite frankly? My only family died when my partners, Jesse and Ash, died. Blood doesn't make someone family. I don't know who my natural father is, and I don't give a rat's ass. He knocked up my mom when she was fifteen and skipped town, and he's not a f***ing factor in my life. Most of the kids I knew in foster care, in Juvie, and in the Triads, we didn't have mothers who loved us or fathers who cared. In the Triads, all we have is each other. *thoughtfully* Your daughter's really lucky, Charlie.

C: Your training in Boot camp to become a Dreg Bounty Hunter sounds like a ‘Do or Die’ kind of situation. Can you tell us a little about what Boot camp was like?

E: You know that television show, Survivor? Kind of like that, only with kids, martial arts, weapons training, and death. No one goes in to Boot Camp with any idea of what it's really going to be like. I sure as hell didn't. But most of us are facing Boot Camp or real, adult jail sentences, so Boot Camp becomes an easy damned choice. Especially when Bastian, the man who recruits you, is blond-haired, blue-eyed, and handsome as a movie star. He looks so f***ing harmless, how bad can it be, right? *snorts*

In six months, you are constantly beaten down, beaten up, taken apart, and reassembled into the perfect killing machine. We learn how to fight with our hands, with different weapons; we're taught how to take one Dreg's strength and use it against them. I'd guess it isn't all that different from the military, with one big exception—only half of us ever graduate. And the half that doesn't graduate isn't sent home or drummed out—their bodies are cremated. It was the only final exam I ever took where failing meant being killed by my opponent. But we can't effectively do our jobs as Hunters if we're the very best, and that means killing off the weakest links.

*thoughtful again* I've never forgotten the name or face of the girl I killed to graduate. I doubt any of us do.

C: So the whole dying and resurrecting thing can really do a number on you, huh? I’m still getting used to the ‘new’ me. How are you coping?

E: *snorts* At least your "new" you is still physically the old you. Do you know how frustrating it is to know how to do a spinning roundhouse in your head, but be unable to get your f***ing body to actually, you know, do the damned roundhouse? The knowledge is there, but Chalice—she's the former tenant—wasn't much a fighter. Or all that graceful, I don't think. And did I mention the attraction thing? She's got all this intense sexual attraction to Wyatt, who is my boss and someone I care a lot about, but I've never been attracted to him that way. Until now, and I have no idea how to deal with it. Resurrection should come with a User Manual. Seriously!

And you had a support system in place. I woke up with almost everyone I knew thinking I was a murderer and a traitor. Thank God for Wyatt. Of course, I wouldn't have come back at all if not for him, and I still can't figure out if I want to thank him or thump his ass for that. *sigh* I need a vacation….

C: Yeah, me too. Shit. *sitting down coffee* Hold on a sec, Evy. This damn phone... *reads text message* Goddamn it! Rex let the hellhound out of the kennel again and now Spooky, our cat, is stuck on the roof. *stands* I swear, living with a Revenant is harder than dealing with a toddler.... Thanks for chatting with me, though. We'll have to do this again some time!

* * *

Okay, folks -- Kelly here... So, all you have to do is comment here and your entered to win a sign copy of THREE DAYS TO DEAD, a signed copy of THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS, and a random book of my choosing (and every person who comments will be entered into our $100 grandprize giveaway!). Not only will the randomly selected winner here win three books, but they'll also gain and extra entry into our $100 Grandprize giveaway.

(This contest is open until Wednesday, November 18th, and the winners will be announced on the 19th.)

Want a second chance to win? Head on over to Kelly Meding's blog to check out Charlie Madigan's interview with Evy Stone!

Check out this Comic!

Today is a breath of fresh air. No 'Where is Kelly' today. It's 'Where are My Writer Pals', Michael Jasper and Niki Smith. They have a seriously cool online comic IN MAPS & LEGENDS, and they're running a pretty sweet contest. So if you love comics, great stories, and awesome art, please check it out! Here's their info:

The first 8 pages of the online comic IN MAPS & LEGENDS is live at DC Comics' Zuda site: http://www.zudacomics.com/node/1540 For the month of November, our comic is part of an "American Idol"-style competition, where readers vote on their favorite comic out of the 10 comics on the site. In addition to voting, you can also help by clicking the stars (five stars is best), and clicking the "Add to Favorites" button as well. Further, you can add a comment in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

And if you're really ambitious, you can add a graphic and a link to the comic to your website, blog, or Facebook page: http://www.zudacomics.com/competition/support (scroll down to get to our graphic). The winner gets a one-year contract with DC Comics to write the next 52 pages of their comic. We're really hoping to make that happen! But it can only happen with your votes, favorites, comments, and stars. So vote away, and tell your friends!

We also have a contest running where a randomly selected person who leaves a comment on the comic's page can get a chance to name one of the villains in our comic: http://michaeljasper.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/comics-comment-contest-name-that-villain/

How to register and vote for IN MAPS & LEGENDS:

-If you haven't already done so, register at Zuda by clicking the Sign Up link in the upper right-hand corner of the page.
-Verify the account via your email.
-Sign into ZudaComics.com with your new user name and password.
-Select IN MAPS & LEGENDS.
-Read the comic!
-To the right of the comic, please click the VOTE button, then rate the comic (five stars if you liked it) and also click Add as favorite. The vote is by far the most important of these three things, but every little bit helps.
-Down below, add a comment to be considered in the villain-naming contest! Contest ends Friday the 13th at 5 p.m. EST. You can comment as often as you like.

Have your family members and friends do the same before the end of November.

The Darkest Edge of Dawn

Saw that DEOD ('cus, yes, I'm too lazy to type it out) made it up on Amazon, usa. And now there are two books listed under my name, which is exceedingly cool. For some reason that makes me feel very productive, and very real. Further validated in some ways. I guess, I'm still not used to the whole author identity. Most of the time I feel like this: "Hi, my name is Kelly, and I am an author. . . . No really. I am. Seriously." ;-) Like I need to convince people (or maybe myself). But, I suppose it'll settle in soon enough...

Anyway, seeing it up there gives me chills and inspiration. And it makes me want to work on the revisions some more, so I'm getting off the Internets and back to work!

Oh, and hey, make sure to stop by on Thursday because the fabulous Evy Stone of THREE DAYS TO DEAD fame will be here to talk about her incredible story with THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS's heroine, Charlie Madigan!

Monday - the good & the bad

The Good:

The very kind Rebecca has posted an interview with me today at her blog, Number One Novels. It's a very cool collection of interviews from first-time authors, so please stop by and check it out. And there's a copy of The Better Part of Darkness up for grabs, too.

EDITED TO ADD: You'll also find me over at The League of Reluctant Adults, today. If you have some time, comment and let me know how you liked the interview!

Also, today is the last day to enter the 2 Kelly's Quiz over at Enchanted By Books. The winner will be announced tomorrow. Remember entering could get you $100 in our grandprize giveaway!

The Bad:

I'm sick. As in, breathing is hard, my voice comes and goes, and I'm exhausted. Not fun. I'm a little behind on a few things. If I owe you an email or something else, please send me a reminder -- my brain is tired. :-/

Book 2 gets a name & date...

Got outed by Amazon Canada (thanks Tez for the head's up!), so I can share. Book 2 shall henceforth be known as:

The Darkest Edge of Dawn (Aug. 31, 2010)

And now that I have the final copy of BPOD, I can also tell you that you'll find an excerpt of 'Darkest Edge' in the back of that beautiful book -- even more reason to go out and pick up a copy, right? Right? ;-)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Surreal day

Yesterday was out of this world. Found an envelope containing some of my author copies of BPOD on my doorstep when I got home from the doctor's (have a nasty, achy cold and keep losing my voice). No one around. Just me. And my reaction was a pretty quiet one. No screaming or crying. Just sat at the kitchen table and stared at them for a long time. Obviously, not shocked or surprised because I know what the cover looks like, and I've had ARCs for months. So that part of it wasn't what had me staring... It was the realization that this is real. This is it. The book is done. And very shortly it'll make it's way out into the world. And into one of my favorite places on earth -- the almighty bookstore.

If I had to take a wild guess, I'd say seeing the book on the shelf in a store...that's when I'll probably get weak in the knees and have to sit down right there in the aisle and shed a few tears. :-)

Also had a wonderful conversation with my editor, which made me want to jump through the phone and give him a big ole hug. He gives me too much credit and downplays his contribution to this book. Without his belief, insight, direction, and input, this book would be nowhere near what is has become. So, you know, gotta give props to him, and to the entire team at Pocket and S&S -- they have been an amazing bunch of people to work with!

Okay, moving on from the sappiness to some contest deadline reminders for ya:

Hooked on Romance: chance to win a signed copy of BPOD ends today.
Enchanted by Books: Take the 2 Kellys quiz and see how well you know us! Ends 11/10.
Dark Faerie Tales: Comments to win BPOD close on 11/23.
2K Event: Up and running until 11/23. Make sure to enter!

Around the web & live, in person...

Literary Escapism has a few snippets of THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS up for Teaser Tuesday. If you want a sneak peek into the book, please check it out. The snippets are from two scenes that I really enjoyed writing, so I'm thrilled that they're up for folks to read.

Hooked on Romance is hosting me today. There'll be a giveaway and interview up and I'll be stopping by occassionally to check in and comment or to answer any questions...

And, I'm very excited to report that I've scheduled my first book signing at Barnes & Nobles in The Streets at South Point Mall, in Durham, NC. December 4th, 2009. 7:30 P.M. It's a gorgeous store, and the CRM there is incredibly nice, so I'm really looking forward to meeting the folks there and signing some books!

Almost here . . .

Yesterday evening, I got one of the coolest emails from my editor. A picture of BPOD -- the final book -- hot off the presses. *Squee!* My copies will be here shortly, but until then feast your eyes upon the loveliness:

Take the 2 Kellys Quiz Today!

Kelly Meding and I are over at Rachael's blog, Enchanted by Books today. There are ten statements. Just match them to the correct Kelly and you'll have a chance to win some great prizes! So, go on over and see how well you know us!

Visit me at Dark Faerie Tales Today!

I'm at the amazing Dark Faerie Tales today talking about THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS and the writing life. Please stop by, take a look, and enter the giveaway!

It's Here: The 2K Kick-off & Chance to win $100!

The Same Name, Same Date, Same Genre – Two Awesome Debuts! Event! (Hereafter referred to as the 2K Event, for Twitter-friendly brevity sake.)


Join debut urban fantasy authors Kelly Meding and Kelly Gay for a month of giveaways, interviews, quizzes, and more as we celebrate the upcoming November 24th release of our debut novels: THREE DAYS TO DEAD (Kelly Meding) and THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS (Kelly Gay).

We have some great things in store for you! Please join us November 3rd for our Two Kelly’s Quiz at ENCHANTED BY BOOKS, and match the statements to the correct Kelly to win some amazing prizes! And join us again on November 12th for a double interview at our blogs where Evy Stone and Charlie Madigan interview each other! These gals have a lot to say, so don’t miss it (and the chance to win more freebies!).

But here’s the best part: Our GRAND PRIZE. Oh yeah. We’re talking a $100 Amazon gift card for one lucky winner.

The GRAND PRIZE giveaway starts now, November 1st and ends November 23rd at noon, Eastern Standard Time. You'll have multiple chances to enter the drawing for the $100 Amazon gift card.

Here’s how:

1) Just comment at any of our events mentioned above and you’re automatically entered. Please note: One comment at one event will gain you one entry. For example: Comment at all three events (the Quiz, the Evy Stone Interview & the Charlie Madigan Interview) and not only are you entered to win those prizes, but now you’re entered THREE times in the GRAND PRIZE giveaway. (And, no, multiple commenting at each event will not gain you extra entries). So that's three chances right there!

2) Folks who do not plan on automatically entering by commenting at our events, may enter by sending an ‘ENTER ME!’ email to Kelly Meding's email address: mail (at) kellymeding.com. One email only, and please use the subject line "ENTER ME!" or your entry may get lost in the Spam Folder (and we don't want that). Please note: If you choose to participate in option #1, you can still enter this way, too. And we do encourage you to choose option #1 and play along with us!

3) Additionally, we want to say a special thanks to those folks who pre-order our books. So, if anyone has pre-ordered at any time, up to November 23rd, please send proof of purchase (scanned or screencapped image of online pre-order confirmation, scanned or photographed in-store receipt [with all private info smudged out, of course]) to: mail (at) kellymeding.com with the subject line "PRE-ORDER." Pre-order proof of one of our books gains you 5 entries. Pre-order proof of both books will gain you 10 entries in the GRAND PRIZE giveaway. (You are also free to enter via Rules #1 & #2). Please note: The GRAND PRIZE giveaway does not require purchase to enter. This rule is merely a way for us to give big, sloppy "Thank you!" kisses to those of you who have or will purchase our books. Both books do not have to have been pre-ordered at the same time; separate confirmation is fine.

Everyone with us so far?

Awesome!And guess what? Follow along and participate in our events and you might just win some additional entries in our grand prize!

Please help us spread the word by Tweeting and blogging the 2K Event, and feel free to use the above contest graphic.We'll see you Tuesday at ENCHANTED BY BOOKS!!!

Perfect fall day

It truly is. Sun is shining. Leaves are a gorgeous collection of oranges, yellows, and reds. There's a nice breeze, so the leaves are falling from the trees to blanket the ground. . . I must get outside at some point today. Right now I am a spectator. Always on the inside, looking out it seems.

I gutted three pumpkins and four gourds yesterday. :D Today I shall carve. The gourds are going to be really cool b/c they're green and if you hold them round/heavy side up, they look like alien heads -- so we're doing a whole family of them... I shall post pics when done, but here are some awesome carvings I found in the Internets:

RT Review

Realized I never posted this. Came as a surprise to me because I didn't even know I'd be among the books reviewed, so... yay!

From RT Magazine (Dec.):

"Talented Gay enters the urban fantasy world with a strong debut novel set in an Atlanta that has become a doorway between worlds. Charlie Madigan is acomplex heroine who is hardheaded and gutsy. Gay's world vision is dark andgritty, with plenty of mystery and treachery thrown in. This is an excellentstart to an electrifying new series! (4 star review)

Summary: Single mom and cop Charlie Madigan and her siren partner Hank huntdown off-world criminals running amok in the Underground. Atlanta has becomethe doorway to the alternate dimensions of Elysia and Charbydon, whoseresidents possess terrifying powers.

Following a recent brutal attack, Charlie literally died, and no one hasbeen able to give her a straight explanation as to what happened to bringher back, or what the strange changes now occurring within her mean. Ahorrible new drug called Ash has started infiltrating the streets, eventaking down the babysitter of Charlie's daughter, Emma. Charlie and Hank arehot on the trail of its source, but their hunt leads them to an even moreterrifying danger that threatens everything they know and love. (POCKET, Dec., 384 pp., $7.99)"

Oh nos! Promo. More excerpt goodness.

Camera is not working. Bah. Which means no update on the Drama in Kellandia. And for those who know me well -- yes, I did check the battery. ;-)

Hey, did you guys know my Author Page at the Simon & Schuster.com website has my entire chapter 1 up (and not just the half chapter found on Amazon)?

I'm going to write a post about promo next week. Wow, you guys. The amount of work this involves is way more time-consuming than I thought. It's important work, though, and I do have lots of fun answering interview questions and guest blogging. I think that might be my favorite part of promo, actually. I've gotten to 'meet' a lot of wonderful readers and writers. But add all that to writing press releases, sending out material, connecting with the local media, scheduling signings and stock signings, and ordering/designing swag, placing ads, updating personal sites, etc... it ends up filling my entire day.

The timing, however, is working very nicely for me. I don't have any deadlines on other projects yet, so I'm not having to split my time right now. (And this won't always be the case, I know -- thank god for small, serendipitous miracles!). And, though I try to write everyday, I'm allowing myself this time, this month before release, to do whatever is needed to get the word out. This is my first book, ya know? So I don't want to have any regrets. :-)

More later...

Drama in Kellandia

I think it's time for another installment of Drama in Kellandia. To recap the last time we visited this most holy of cities, a crime had been committed. See evidence below and stay tuned for some new developments to come in the next day or two.

9.18.2008:

This morning a heinous crime was discovered in Kellandia. Xena, Warrior Princess, and much beloved member of Kellandia was attacked with scissors while she slept. I give you Exhibit A & B:

Who has done such a vile deed? I give you the suspects:

Barbie & Wonder Woman. Barbie lives in nearby Kidtropolis and is still seeking vengeance after Xena sliced off Barbie's fingers (as evident in the police photo). Or she could just be pissed due to the bad hairdo . . . Wonder Woman, another beloved member of Kellandia believes Xena may have stolen W's lasso.

This investigator, however, believes a sordid love triangle might exist between the victim and suspects and this man:

Legolas. Chick magnet. Could it be a case of jealousy, perhaps? Or is Legolas humiliated and out for revenge due to the sudden black magic-market dot that appeared on the tip of his nose? Does he think Xena is the culprit?

For now, the case remains open . . .

Thirty Six & Secrets

Know what that number means? Hmm? Anyone? That's how many days, not counting today, left to the release of BPOD! *heart attack!*

I've been so busy. Book stuff. Personal stuff. It all seems to hit at once. I guess I should know that by now, but... anyway working on some REALLY COOL, REALLY SECRET stuff to promo the book release. And yes, it deserves to be capitalized & italicized-- it is that awesome.

And Haiku Winner and runner's up, don't forget to email me your info!!!

Now back to the secret stuff... well, the word 'secret'. I like this word. All my toast is secret. Yes, you see, I only make 'secret toast'. I only eat 'secret toast'. It tastes better that way. Just sayin'. Anyone know the movie reference I'm talking about? ;-)

Excerpt & Friday funny...

So, have a few things to share and the first is a bit of 'kid funny' for ya:

Son, who is not quite two years old, doesn't nap at daycare. Instead he sits on his cot and plays or talks to himself. His teacher uses naptime to eat her lunch. She was halfway thru her lunch, when she got up to go to the bathroom. When she returned . . . my son was sitting in her chair eating her lunch. :D Startled by her return, he put up his hand in a "Stop right there!' motion, and began babbling what had to be some kind of hurried explanation. He then proceeded to offer her some of her own food and drink. Hee, hee. Cracks me up.

And, guess what I found on the Internets last night? An excerpt of THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS. It's up at Amazon. Odd, because suddenly the idea of my writing being out in the universe, even though it has been in the form of ARCs and such, well, it makes me a little nervous. Weird writer thing, perhaps?

Anyway, happy Friday to you guys!

Linkage, etc...

Wanted to pop on and let you guys know about an awesome new book blog called Dark Faerie Tales. The design is gorgeous and the content is outstanding. Check it out!

Runners up and Haiku contest winner, Nicole, and Month of Monsters commenter, Melissa T, don't forget to send me your mailing info at kelly(at)kellygay(dot)net!

The fabulous Willow Raven from Red House Books reviewed THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS. She's posted a great write up on the book if anyone wants to learn more on BPOD.

There are some pretty sweet pros to this job and one of them is getting ARCs. I was lucky enough to get Kelly Meding's ARC of THREE DAYS TO DEAD, featuring the formidable Evy Stone. I finished late last night around midnight. This is a great read, folks! Make sure to put Kelly on your Got To Have List!

Haiku ARC Winner is . . .

Sorry for the delay folks. I had a tough time picking just one winner. I loved them all! I finally narrowed it down to five and actually counted the ARCs I have left to see if I could offer more than one prize, but sadly the ones I have left are already promised to giveaway/guest blogs I have scheduled.

But, it was Nicole's clever little entry that got me. Think it was the whole play on the southern vamp theme, humor, and mixing that ole "blood from turnips" saying. Congratulations, Nicole!

Jess, Gryvon, Ashley & Sarah E. Stevens were my runner's up. If any of you enjoy coverflats, send me an email (along with Nicole) at Kelly@kellygay.net and I'll mail you a signed one.

Thanks to everyone who entered.

Month of Monsters & chance to win...

Hey Guys! Happy Saturday to you all. The Haiku contest officially ended last night. I'm having a hard time deciding on a winner. The entries are fantastic. Thanks to everyone who entered!

** If you'd like another chance to win THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS, there is a giveaway going on now at Cynthia Eden's blog. No haiku this time. All you have to do is comment on my guest post and you're entered to win. **

And stayed tuned to the blog because I've got something in the works that's going to top all of my previous contests. Cool, cool stuff. More to come...

Goodies around the web

***

Today is the last day to enter the Haiku contest for your chance to win 4 urban fantasy novels! Contest ends at midnight. I'll chose a winner over the weekend and announce Sunday night or Monday morning... And thanks to all who entered, and a special thanks to those who put the word out about the contest -- you guys are AWESOME!

***

Did you guys know that the fabulous Cynthia Eden is holding a Month of Monsters event on her blog? Guest authors are blogging the entire month of October, and you know what? There are a TON of giveaways! So hie yourselves over and take a look. I will be posting tomorrow and giving away an ARC of THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS.

The very wonderful Susan Adrian hosted the equally lovely Suzie Townsend on her blog yesterday. Suzie is a junior agent at FinePrint Literary. For anyone writing YA, go read her guest post on The 5 Most Common YA Subgenres. Good, insightful stuff.

It's contest time!

In honor of the Southern Indie Booksellers Okra Pick and because I'm way past the time when I intended to do another contest, I present to you a themed contest. Oh yeah. It's haiku time. Here are the rules:

1) One entry per person, overseas folks included.

2) Your imaginative (funny, serious, angry, whatever) haiku -- three lines only, which must have some relevance/semblance of a southern or paranormal nature. Or both. Some examples of haiku can be found here.

3) I'll chose one winner.

4) Contest ends Friday, October 9th at midnight.

Hard, you say? It'll be worth it. The winner will receive four urban fantasy novels, all set in the south as well as a coverflat of my debut novel. We have THE ACCIDENTAL DEMON SLAYER by Angie Fox, A RUSH OF WINGS by Adrian Phoenix, MARK OF THE DEMON by Diana Rowland & an ARC of THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS by Moi.

Contest starts now!

A few things

Don't forget to enter my contest by Midnight Oct 9th to win 3 amazing urban fantasy novels & an ARC of my debut!

In response to a few inquiries that have very nicely come my way: As of now, there's no book description of The Better Part of Darkness at a few online bookselling sites, but I promise you it's forthcoming! Sorry! I do realize it's frustrating to go to those sites and be unsure about pre-ordering because there's no clue as to what the book is actually about. I'm tickled pink that folks are interested and looking for the book! You guys ROCK! So until those product descriptions go online, a blurb on the book can be found at the books section of my website.

And, if you'd like to know more details on the book, I have two new reviews to report:

The Better Part of Darkness received a 'Recommended Read' over at Fallen Angels Reviews and was given a 'Top Pick" by Night Owl Romance Book Reviews! Thanks Hayley and Leslee!

Bring on the Okra...

The BETTER PART OF DARKNESS is an Okra Pick!

Via the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance website:

"Summer is winding down and the harvest is coming in and Southern Indie Booksellers have a selected a basket full of books for the Fall 2009 Okra Picks. Thirteen books made the final list, and include fiction, nonfiction, poetry, children’s and young adult titles. All the books have the following things in common: 1) They are Southern in nature. 2) They are Fall 2009 releases and 3) There is a SIBA member Bookstore who is really excited about this book. Southern booksellers love their Southern authors!"

See the list here.

I'm stunned by this, stunned and incredibly pleased -- okay, beaming like a proud Momma is probably more accurate. It's such a great honor to have the book recognized by SIBA, and to be chosen out of the number of southern titles releasing this fall across all areas of fiction. And besides being picked, I'm totally excited that a sci-fi/fantasy genre book was included in the mix of fall titles! Gooooo urban fantasy!

Thank you SIBA!

Win a critique of your work!

Since a lot of you who visit me here are writers... The fabulous C.J. Redwine is offering an amazing contest over at her blog The Last Word. And she has the most amazing way to enter. Here's a bit from her blog:

Are you an aspiring writer who needs a professional critique of your work? Are you entering the Golden Heart and need a critique of your contest entry? Do you enjoy bragging rights and the thought of taking on Twilight and shaping it to your own nefarious, er, I mean creative purposes? Then this is the contest for you!

Rules:1. Take the first sentence of Twilight (below) and use it as the beginning of a 500 word piece of writing. Hook the reader with humor, drama, suspense, or beautiful prose! I don't care if you stick with the vampire plot from Twilight or take us in a totally different direction.

So get on over there and enter! I'm gonna go read the entries -- can't wait to see what people come up with!

Interview & Review

Both are up over at Eclectic Book Lover today! Please stop by and check it out. :-)

Teaser Tuesday

Cool little discovery this morning over at Eclectic Book Lover.

Around the web

Definitely a Monday. Just getting started on things I usually do in the morning. Oy.

For those who asked/pointed out (and thank you, btw) that they couldn't find my book or my author profile on Simon & Schuster.com, I am now listed. Content will eventually fill out the page in the next coming weeks or so...

The Eclectic Book Lover will be posting an interview with Yours Truly this Wednesday wherein I talk about The Better Part of Darkness and some things you might not know about me. :-)

Aion is here

I am happy this weekend. Aion is out!! It's a new -- incredibly gorgeous -- MMORPG game. I pre-ordered so I've been able to get on and fiddle with character creation, and holy cow, the options are staggering. I have played a lot of RPG's in my time, but this one, the ability to create and mold your character is truly exceptional.

Aion is also mirrors the whole mythos of heaven and hell - very loosely, but hey when you've got divine flying beings with angel wings... Awesome! And with my love of biblical myth ala The Better Part of Darkness, it's a no brainer that I'd be drawn to this game. I've been waiting for this for over a year now. YAY!!

The week ahead

I think I've figured out the whole 'What To Work on Next' thing. :-) I was inspired, so I'm starting the first chapter of the third Charlie Madigan book. I also have a really awesome stand alone novel that's been stewing in my head for a while, so I might work on that too. And as many of you know, I usually work on two projects at once, so that's right in line with How Kelly Does Things. :D

As for the week ahead, I'll be writing and working on contest entries I'm judging and a guest blog post.

Today there is a new review up for The Better Part of Darkness at Tez Says. I'm stoked that she mentioned some of my favorite characters and the world building -- as world building is a big, big love of mine!

And next week (the 23rd, I believe) there'll be an interview with me up at Jacqueline's great book review blog: The Eclectic Book Lover. She had the neatest questions, and I had a lot of fun answering them.

Superstitions

I have some. Who knew? I'm suddenly like a baseball player before a game. My little quirks have changed since becoming published. Before selling, when I'd send out queries and partials, I had a very time consuming habit of reading over each query, each partial sent to each individual agent. Didn't matter if the document was identical. I had to read it over each time it was sent. Period.

These days, especially now that I have turned in Charlie Madigan's Book 2, the last book in my contract, and have completed my super secret YA, I'm in a holding pattern. Self-imposed holding pattern, but still. I've written a synopsis for Charlie's Book 3, and one for the second book in the YA series. But I can't seem to sit down and start writing either of these books. It would be unlucky, you see. I don't know if the YA will eventually sell, so starting the second book might be jumping the gun -- therefore unlucky. Same goes for Charlie's Book 3. I don't know yet if my publisher will want more books, so forging ahead, well, it could be a really good use of time or it might not be the best use of my time right now. Hmm.

When did I develop this crazy superstition? That it would be bad luck to start on further series books when I don't even know if they're wanted. Dunno. It's a time management thing, I think. But, it's also crazy because every aspiring writer out there faces writing a novel not knowing whether it will sell -- just hoping to hell that it does, me included. But what about additional books in series? I know a few authors who wrote additional series books before selling the first. And I know authors who wrote the first and then waited to see if it was something that would sell before continuing with that particular storyline.

I'm rambling, but I guess what I'm trying to work out is what to work on next. More in Charlie's world? More in my YA? Or something entirely new just to keep me writing until I know how the 'Books-in-Waiting' will fare?

All I know is that I need to keep writing. What about you guys? Any superstitions out there?

A cover to love...

Or you could call it Ilona's Revenge (on Meljean Brook, that is). 'Tis hysterical. And Odd Shots is a pretty cool blog with some amazingly talented authors, so check it out.

Facebook

So, I couldn't resist the lure any longer. :D And, honestly, it feels a little weird to be pimp- *cough, cough*- promoting my book everywhere. But, I really want people to know about Charlie Madigan! To one day read her story, to take a little vacation to Underground Atlanta and see what happens when myths and legends come out of the closet.

So, if you're not sick of me yet, there is now a Fan Page on Facebook where I'll post Book news, info, photos and more...

Feels like a Friday

It's been a very relaxing week here at Casa Kelly. I've been addressing my enormous To Do list, and have crossed off several pending things such as:

1) sending out ARCs

2) writing a new proposal

3) responding to emails

4) pimping some much anticipated books

5) working on interview questions

6) updating my website (and researching designers to create a snazzy new look).

7) judging a few entries in a writing contest

8) thinking up a series name for Charlie's books

9) getting a P.O. Box

10) working on a few guest posts

That's just off the top of my head. And why would I refer to all that as 'relaxing', you might wonder? Well, I'm a list person. I get great satisfaction by crossing things off. Makes me feel like I'm still accomplishing things and moving forward. And Book 2 has been turned in, so, by default, anything else I do is relaxing! That was one hard book to write! ;-)

New release today!

Today marks the official release of fellow Pixie Chick, Annette McCleave's debut paranormal romance, Drawn into Darkness!

Make sure to check it out. It's getting great reviews!!

Never fear my overseas friends...

Just a quick note: because 1) I have been asked and 2) I haven't really clarified this to my blog readers overseas. All of my contests, the ones held here, by me, on my blog will be open to everyone. Yep, that means worldwide. (Sometimes w/multi-book giveaways, it gets expensive to send overseas, so sometimes you'll find 'states only' contests, which is totally understandable.)

I feel very lucky, and most appreciative, to have anyone interested in my work, so I don't mind shipping to wherever you may be -- as long as there's an address to post to. So my overseas friends, not to worry! ;-)

The next contest here will be held in the next week or two, so please check back soon!

Big urban fantasy ARC giveaway!

Head on over to The Swivet and enter to win four urban fantasy ARCs by authors Molly Harper, Seanan McGuire, Skyler White & Me!

So cool!

Updated my website

Made a few changes to the home page of my website. Wanted to add a new quote for THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS by the uber fabulous Vicki Pettersson. Vicki happened by the Pocket Booth at San Diego Comic Con where my ARCs were being given away. I consider it a serendipitous moment that she passed by when she did... :-)

Being a New Writer on the Block, I've felt a little hesitant at times, but I'm discovering that the writing community is full of amazing, welcoming, generous people. And I can't wait to pay all this generousity forward! :-)

Goodreads

Ever been to Goodreads. com? It's a very cool place. I've got my author page up, have added a few links and books. There is even a review for my book! Check me out.

Two great releases, one great blog

Some really incredible stuff debuts today.

My fellow Pixie Chick and friend, Tracey O'Hara's debut, Night's Cold Kiss is out today (well, it is the 25th in Australia, so I'm posting today...). You guys. Seriously. This book is getting some great reviews!

Also out, and how can you resist these amazing authors together in one book? Unbound, featuring stories by Kim Harrison, Melissa Marr, Vicki Pettersson, Jocelynn Drake & Jeaniene Frost. Total auto-buy for me!

And an ultra fabulous new blog, Living Your Five, went live today. It features YA authors, Kay Cassidy, Tera Lynn Childs, Alyson Noel and Becca Fitzpatrick.

Showing off the shine

Because it's pretty, and I love it, and realized I never posted it. These are pics of the coverflats for BPOD. My past contest winners received these Shiny Things of Wonder, and I'll include them in future contests, too. They look particularly awesome on the wall, the refrigerator, the front door, strategically left in the waiting rooms of doctor's offices and hair salons nationwide, and duct taped to the sides of buses and the back of T-shirts... Just sayin'.

Feeling out of touch?

You writers and creative folks out there... ever get this bizarre sense of disconnect, like you're hovering between reality and your fantasy worlds and can't touch ground in either one. Is it just me? Please tell me it's not and that I'm not losing my mind. :-)

I've been so deep in writing the last few months, that I'm finding it hard to readjust and take a break from those worlds, to live in the 'present'. The creative well is pretty run down after all that work, but oddly enough my brain doesn't seem ready to leave those worlds alone and just rest.

I'm taking a vacation in September. Hopefully, that'll bring me back down to earth and recharge the brain.

Funny for the day

Because it made me smile:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UMWhJsd0JE

Journals, contests, companion novels...

Oy. Tis Monday.

Realized we're almost at the three month mark until BPOD debuts. Three months!!

Been taking a little R&R, catching up on my reading, spending time with the family, writing in my journal -- my idea journal. I've tried the diary style journaling before, and can't seem to get into that, but I do so love my 'everything' journal. I fill it with ideas, notes, names, words, made-up words, anything that strikes me. I used to have this kind of stuff in several different spiral notebooks scattered around the house, but finally decided to condense this chaos into one easy to locate place. It's working. :-)

Oh, and there will be more ARC contests for The Better Part of Darkness forthcoming. I should have enough to do a contest every month until my debut.

How do you guys feel about companion novels? I really like how Kelley Armstrong did this with her Otherworld series, branching out from Elena into other characters...

Well, folks, that's it for my Monday ramblings. Hope everyone had a nice weekend!

On tap

Lots of books, that's what's on tap for me. It's great, too, because I am woefully behind on my reading and now that B2 is turned in, I can read guilt free. Yesterday, I read two Janet Chapman novels, which is easy to do because they're like chocolate. I can usually read a book a day, but I really must've been starving. :-)

Also reading my CP's latest and greatest new manuscript.

And then on tap will be Vicki Pettersson's latest, Lili Saintcrow's latest, and Chris Evans' latest... Gotta catch up on my series reading!

And, yes, still writing. Got to stay in the habit. So I'm working on plotting the new Charlie book, and the next YA.

Getting back to normal

Okay. Whew! Glad and mightily relieved to report that Book 2 of the Charlie Madigan series has been turned in to my editor, and that my life can now return to some semblance of normalcy.

This book gave me lots of headaches, but it wasn't the book doing so, it was me. First time writing a book already sold. First time writing a book with a deadline not my own. First time writing a book in a series. So, lots of pressure, lots of weight on my confidence as a writer. I was also really worried about writing what I thought everyone else wanted. Pleasing everyone. This kind of thinking can really stifle you, let me tell you.

A friend of mine told me to think back to when I was writing The Better Part of Darkness. I was writing the story I wanted to tell. I was writing the kinds of scenes that excited me and made me happy. And, it showed. That story sold. And, I realized that when you do that, the writing flows, the book works. So, as hard as it was to not feel the pressure (and it was still there, hovering), I forced myself to stop thinking about what I thought others might want to see happen in the second book, and just wrote the kind of book I wanted to write, the story I wanted to tell, and the things that made me excited and engaged.

I brought the Charlie I know and love back to life. I know her inside and out, and this book has allowed me to see her stories, her ordeals, her personal relationships far into the future.

Winner of the ARC is....

Using the random number generator, the winner of the ARC contest for THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS is . . . okay, I have a surprise. I drew two winners. Yes, that's right, due to the awesome number of entries (wow, thank you all) I drew two winners!

Lexie & Cathy M

Please email me your address. kelly@kellygay.net I'll sign each book and coverflat (but let me know if you'd prefer a different name or if you'd prefer a generic signature.) Congrats, ladies!

Contest closed, winner forthcoming...

Just popping in to say I'll be drawing the winner later today. Thanks to everyone who entered!

Win an ARC of THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS!

Okay, folks. Here's the deal. All you have to do is place a reply in the comments section, and you're entered. It's that simple (I was going to think up some cool question you all had to answer, but deadlines are approaching, and brain is fried...maybe next time.)

I will ship anywhere overseas, so this contest is open to my friends across the 'ponds' as well.

Contest will end Friday, August 7th at midnight, my time. One entry per person. Winner will be drawn by random generator.

Here's the good part: You'll receive a signed ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy) of THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS, and a cover flat with the shiny gold title that makes me giggle like a nine-year-old at a Jo Bros Concert.

Recap & Releases

It's been a long time between posts! RWA was a great experience. Washington, DC is beautiful and I wish I could've seen more of the city. Highlights of the con were meeting old friends and new, the Pocket dinner where I got to meet fellow authors as well as several wonderful folks who work at Pocket. Very, very cool. I gave away a few ARCs of THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS to librarians and booksellers. Even signed them, which was a hoot. :-)

Happy to be back home.

I'll be posting a contest this week. I know it's long overdue, but I hope some of you will enter!

My wonderful CP's urban fantasy SPEAK OF THE DEVIL releases today. Great book, people!!

And, Chris Evans's LIGHT OF BURNING SHADOWS is also out today!

Oh, and another one, Jeaniene Frost's DESTINED FOR AN EARLY GRAVE hits shelves today too!

(Makes me wonder if there are more releases... must go look)

Book giveaway at San Diego Comic-Con!!

Attention San Diego Comic-Con attendees:
Pocket Books/Simon & Schuster (Booth #1017) is giving away 50 copies of the ARC for THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS throughout Comic-Con to attendees only. Supplies are extremely limited and will be rationed out per day, so it’s first come, first served. Make sure you stop by the booth for your chance to get a copy!

* Booth #1017 (Pocket Books/Simon & Schuster)
* Must be an attendee of the con
* Copies will not be held. This is first come, first serve, people!

Man, wish I could be there!

Guest posting at FF&P

Just a quickie. I'm guest posting on Wednesday about "Dealing with Criticism" at FF&P. Hope you all can stop by!

Book rec! Black and White

I don't do book reviews. Anyone who reads my blog knows this, but I do like to mention books that make me remember why the hell I love reading and writing in the first place. People, if you haven't read Black and White by Jackie Kessler & Caitlin Kittredge, you should.

Why? Because it's refreshingly different, that's why.

Do you like when the lines between good and evil are blurred, and blurred for good reason? Like superheroes and supervillians with actual substance, with their fair share of flaws, conflicts, relationships, and kick-ass abilities? Read. This. Book. It's so damn cool.

Contest!

Hey guys. Just popping in from conference to tell you that Confessions of a Wandering Heart is holding a contest for one of the ARCs (Advanced Readers Copy) of The Better Part of Darkness. All you have to do is comment here on the review. You have until July 30th to enter, which, incidentally is my birthday. :-)

Kelly out.

My first review!

I'm gonna be honest. When I saw that Suzie, of Confessions of a Wandering Heart, was reading The Better Part of Darkness, I felt sick -- like stomach turning into a tight little ball sick. I've been trying to prepare myself for reviews. I know this book is not going to be everyone's cup of tea. But, ya know, at the same time, I want readers to like it, to get what I was trying to do with this story and my characters.

She got it. She got my characters. She got the world and the story I was trying to tell, and, wow, she did a really wonderful, very detailed write-up. So, if you want to get a sense or feel for the book, here's the link.

Off to conference tomorrow, so blog posts might be a little thin this week.

Little brown box of goodness

Been a few hectic days here what with school starting and a dozen other issues, but this little box o' goodies showed up on my doorstep yesterday...

...and filled me with such immense happiness that I might have shed a few tears:

Now I just need to figure out how to distribute them. ;-) I shall be thinking of contests and give-aways and sending some out for reviews... EDITED TO ADD: I am remiss in explaining; these early, incredibly gorgeous books are ARCs, Advanced Reader's Copies, which means they are uncorrected proofs and not for sale, and basically for the purpose listed above -- for early reviewers, give-aways, contests and such.

Art as inspiration

I'm in love with these little guys. Dawn Schiller is a genius. Her little Oddfae creatures are so incredible and funky and offbeat. Take a look:

Cool, right?

Monday blahs

Depressing Monday. Lot of things are going south. Car is dying. Hub is gone. Again. Might not make it to RWA. And daycare might no longer be an option for the boy child. *sigh*

Ah well, what can you do, right? Just keep trudging along . . . :-)

But cover flats should be coming soon, so that'll balance out some of my day. That, and I got some Haagan Dazs Dulce de Leche ice cream!!! *cue angelic choir*

That is all.

Random Friday & Bookish stats

First, I am lax in saying THANK YOU to my friend Jax, for the blog love. :-)

Second, Diana Rowland's new book, Mark of the Demon came out this week. It's gotten some great reviews, so I'm eagerly awaiting my copy!

Galleys are done. So it's back to work on Book 2. Rough draft is basically complete. I have to fill in a missing chapter or two near the end and then start revising, polishing, and filling in some research details. Really excited about this book!

Each book I write, I can see myself improving as a writer. My rough drafts are getting smoother and my pacing now seems to fall into place without too much effort. Here are some stats:

1) Book 2 is the 9th novel I've written.

2) As of this year I've written two novels: Book 2 and Le Super Secret YA.

What I need to do, and would like to do in the remainder of 2009:

1) Turn in Book 2 in Charlie Madigan series.

2) Write YA sequel.

3) Write a 3rd book in Charlie Madigan's world.

4) Revise my Turn-of-the-Century YA fantasy proposal (1st 3 chapters and synopsi of two more books already done) into a middle grade novel.

Galleys

A little late in posting . I received galleys for The Better Part of Darkness last week. Galleys are a bit mysterious because they can come in different forms -- on regular sized paper, but sized down in the center to reflect the size and font of your book, or printed in landscape form with two paperback book-sized pages on each sheet (as mine is done), or galleys can come as a bound book with no cover image, or with a cover image.

These are my first pass galleys. I will get a second pass set as well. Once you see the size/font of your actual book, it makes reading a little different. You tend to catch things at this stage that you'd miss otherwise. You can see how long paragraphs will run in actual book form, how dialogue looks, etc...

(Here's a pic at the layout -- I sized it down, so that y'all can't read the page. I know, I'm mean...but no sneak peaks just yet!)

But the goal here is to check for grammar, typos, inconsistencies, anything that was missed in the copy edit. Galleys kind of drive home how important those revisions and copy edits are. Copy edits are your chance to dig in and fix, to rewrite if necessary. Once galleys arrive, your opportunity to tear things apart and rewrite is pretty much gone. (Unless, of course, you catch some gigantic plot hole that needs addressing). But, at this stage, rewriting in galleys will cause your editor a lot of extra work. Not good.

So how do I fix any mistakes I find in the galleys? Just like I did in the copy edits. Mark them with a pencil or pen, or some folks like to create a new document and just write a list of page numbers and the mistakes and then turn that in. Different strokes, for different folks. My editor is cool with however I want to do it, which is awesome. It's easier for me to just mark the actual page and send whatever pages I marked back to Pocket.

So there ya go. A look into the galley process from my end. :-)