K.S.R. Kingworth's Blog

I am NOT a stalker Sara Zarr. I promise.

Hungry to leave my life as a solitary writer behind, I drove up to The King's English in Salt Lake on June 6th to meet some local Utah author's who were doing a signing, including Sara Zarr. Also, it was the perfect place to buy my own copy of Neil Gaiman's, The Graveyard Book. I could hardly drag myself out of the house, thanks to Wilbur, my parasitic friend. (Do NOT garden in freshly turned manure with a cut on your finger.)

I got there just as everyone was wrapping up their book signings. I feebly muttered, "Oh hi, I just wanted to come meet you all." I got blank, very worn stares--almost as blank and won as mine--and I wondered why in the world I'd driven 45 minutes only to turn right back around.

But then I met Jen, the marketing person for The King's English. Fabulous Jen with whom I'd spoken a few weeks earlier. When she saw my business card she said, "Karey Shane! We talked not too long ago!" I was amazed she remembered. We talked about BEA and other sundry things.

She let me know they're already looking forward to getting a review copy. She was fantastic to talk with, and I left TKE ready to go devour some lamb kebab next door at Mazza's for old times sake. It turns out Sara Zarr was at a table with two other authors. I'm sure they must have thought I was stalking them. If I'd been thinking I would have secretly taken their picture and put it up here to prove that I WASN'T.

Q & A with Neil Gaiman in a few minutes

I'm leading a Q & A with Neil Gaiman in a few minutes. The minutes are ticking by slowly and Wyatt (the dog) is whimpering that he wants to go play--so I'm blogging to distract my mind. Two minutes to go, then we'll be chatting on Wild Things: YA Grown Up at Goodreads. It's time! Ta ta.

What are Your Favorite Places?

This is your place to write about favorite places of yours. What sorts of places feed your soul? What places are filled with your best memories?

My best memories are backyard memories with my family, children, nieces and nephews, Mom and Pops--swimming, making homemade rootbeer and sitting on the lid while dry ice smoke puffs out, playing "Chicken" on the diving board, watching my sister try to do a swan dive and halfway through realizing she wasn't sure how to do it so it turned into a cat-claw clamber complete with a yowl.

And singing around the piano memories. Those are some of my favorites, too. By myself memories? The places I walk. Singing at the kitchen sink. My bathtub, who has seen me through many a sore ache many times a day. it's amazing the jacuzzi pump still works. And children memories? Bedtime stories. Smelling like lavender after their baths. The small moments: "Sadie, we don't put pennies in cakes. Let's take them out." Being with my son in D.C. over spring break and watching him convulse after eating way too much Wasabi. On purpose. And maybe this sounds corny, but I like wherever Patrick and I kneel and hold hands while we pray morning and night. It's like being wrapped in a blanket that's soft, fluffy and deliciously thick. And I just like being at home when he's there, too. Two souls living parallel, loving lives without being needy.

Simple Joys. What have you been enJOYing lately?

These last few weeks I haven't felt like writing or doing anything remotely associated with Secret Speakers. If I lived by "shoulds" it should already be in the hands of reviewers at Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Review, Booklist. Sigh. What were those names I just said? I forgot. I should be finishing up the audio post production and getting it ready to go to press. This is your place to write about what you've been enjoying lately--the simple things.

I haven't felt this at peace in a long time. Instead, I've been enjoying watching our chickens feather out into some shape of what they'll look like as laying hens. In three weeks they've gone from balls of downy fluff to darting demons with four-inch wings. (Cupcake and Shella actually fly up onto my knees while I sit and watch them. They let me stroke and pet them. I love it.) I've been wandering outside to watch my nasturtiums grow in the front yard. I could have a whole hillside of nasturtiums--if we had a hillside. I've loved having the little neighbor girls stop by to help with the chickens, along with my niece and nephew. I've enjoyed our California Poppies by the mailbox. Sigh. It's all feeding my soul. What simple things have you been enjoying lately? I'd love to hear about it. Tonight I think I'm going to see if my husband will sleep in the back yard under the stars with me.

Do You Have Funny Eavesdropping Stories?

I accidentally eavesdropped on my husband. I've finally caught my breath after laughing so hard. First, you should know that My twin sister would be so proud of me. I've been doing absolutely nothing that has to do with Secret Speakers. I've been VEDGING.

So, today while in the middle of doing absolutely nothing that has to do with writing and INSTEAD getting my hands dirty in the garden, and eating lunch on the front porch followed with some good Amano chocolate (which I bought from the place where they make it, three minutes from my house), I called my husband to see if he's up for watching my sister's dog Piper (alias Pooper, Peeper, Hyper: names given by my sister, NOT me) for a few days since she and her family are in Mexico--a trip I decided NOT to take so I could stay home and take a vacation. (Whew. I'm out of breath. That was a long sentence.)

Well, he (Patrick, not Piper, who is a girl) tends to get distracted, and he hit the answer button and forgot he'd answered, so I listened to him hammer, chat and work away while building some sort of Hacking Tower for his falcon with his buddy Ricardo Velarde (master knife maker as in worth hundreds of dollars a piece) up in Park City. I haven't had such a good time eavesdropping in a long time. I've had all sorts of peeks into his world when he gets distracted like that. But I won't tell. By the way, that's my guy after he spent a couple of days building raised garden beds.

A Sneak Peak at Secret Speakers Illustrations

Here are a few sneak peaks of the chapter heading illustrations I'm doing for Secret Speakers. I've used the Jugendstil font designed by Heinrich Vogeler around 1905, based on the German blackletter tradition. Instead of using his illustrations, I've replaced, and am still working on replacing them with my own. I'd love to know what you think.

Each chapter page will be laid out using the Fibonacci scale and resemble, somewhat, pages from illuminated manuscripts. Hopefully it won't interfere with the reader's experience, but will just be part of the background.

Simon Vance wins AudioFile Golden Voice!

I just finished doing cartwheels and a few jigs. Why ever for? Why, the Audio Publisher's Association just named Simon Vance, who narrated Secret Speakers and the Search for Selador's Gate, to AudioFile Magazine Golden Voice status. Did you notice how I put it in bold? That's because Simon is one of my superheroes.

For those in the know, as I'm sure you are, that's basically the Hall of Fame for narrators. Last month he lost out to the worthy and also very superheroish Neil Gaiman in the Tournament of Audiobooks on Audible. But then, perhaps that leaves Simon wide open to win next year's tournament with Secret Speakers! Start strengthening that finger to push "vote" next year. Standing upside down balanced on one finger should do it.

Way to go superhero Simon! Oh, and he won another Audie (June 2009) in the Classics division for his narration of Great Expectations.

Story Quest: Q & A

So here's my Story Quest Question (for superheroes only, of course): When was the last time you realized you made a mistake and tried to fix it? How did it turn out? And what, pray tell, do these eggs have to do with accountability? After you read my story, I'd like to hear your Story Spin Answer. Here's the story: While pulling out a jungle of weeds along the back wall in our back yard, a bird flew out of her hiding place. Either I was thirsty, or just plain unaware, but I kept tugging away, working my way closer to where I'd seen her emerge. All of a sudden I gasped when I discovered a nest full of speckled eggs--cream with light brown spots. I muttered, "Oh no," when I realized what I'd done. I hurried and put the weeds back around it, hoping it would look natural enough for the mother to return.

She didn't. First of all, can you guess what sort of bird would have been nesting on the ground? Next, what would you have done? After I got over feeling completely clueless, I called a neighbor who has chickens to see if we could incubate the eggs. She said a chicken's incubator would be too hot. Then my husband had this great idea: Let's just put them under our pigeons who are nesting anyway. Well, wonder of wonders, they're sitting on them and turning them along with their own eggs. We should have a covey of--did you guess yet?--quail in about 20 days. So When was the last time you realized you made a mistake and tried to fix it? How did it turn out? What's your Story Spin Answer? Did you get the result you expected? How did you feel inside?

Simon Vance is recording right NOW

Simon Vance is recording Secret Speakers and the Search for Selador's Gate this week, May 4, 2009. I'm really looking forward to hearing the way the story sounds with someone else reading it besides me! I'm meeting with the folks at Audible.com this week to talk about possibilities. Yay!

If you haven't heard Simon yet, go to audible.com and choose from 23 pages worth of audiobooks done by him.

Thank you, Simon! It's been fun this week going over the pronunciation for character names. I've saved all your messages on my cell phone so I can imagine what Secret Speakers will sound like when I get the file from you next week. Then it's on to post-audio production and mastering with Kenny Hodges.

TweetSnap

How cool is this Twitter thing to put under your signature? It's a great way to let people know what you're doing!

Make one for yourself at Tweetsnap.com

Secret Speakers Book Trailer Video

After months and months of work in between resting--and sometimes going against doctors orders to do nothing but rest--the video book trailer for Secret Speakers and the Search for Selador's Gate is done! You can also see it at SecretSpeakers.com

See what the buzz is about . . . Secret Speakers and the Search for Selador's Gate!

Shannon Hale and I are BEST friends

Here are Shannon Hale and I after solving the problems of the universe. We came up with the answer as superheroes do, naturally, but it will be a long time before we reveal the information. It's difficult keeping it from the bad guys. By the way, our private, super important superhero conference took place during UVU's Children's Writing Conference, but that's beside the point.

During the writer's conference, I met so many amazing people, including Shannon. (Oh wait, did I say we just met? We've known each other forever.) Carol Lynch Williams, whose novel, The Chosen One, comes out soon, was the most peaceful, kind woman I have met in a long time. Hearing her read outloud makes me wish

Secret Speakers Ratings

So far, Secret Speakers and the Search for Selador's Gate has an overall rating of 4.87 out of 5 with 31 early reader votes on Goodreads. I'm really pleased readers are liking the story so much. It's a great feeling after working on it for so many years. The book will be available September 9, 2009. (That's 09.09.09. How cool is that?) You can get a sneak peak of the audio book read by Booklist's 2008 "Voice of Choice", Simon Vance! Here's the screen shot:

I Got That New Mac!

So I finally replaced my ten year-old laptop Spunkie with a new Macbook Pro thanks to everyone who are helping me live this part of my Story Quest. Yesterday! And I'm writing on it this very minute. A big thanks to everyone who helped Secret Speakers win the Reader's Choice award as a cell phone novel at Textnovel. I used the prize money to buy Spunkie II.



Thanks to Tyler Osmond who sold it to me. Writing to you all from my very own computer sure beats having to laptop hop. (Thanks to very generous family members for your patience.)

Where Was I During 9/11?

Here's the deal: This Christmas Cactus blossom has a lot to do with where I was during 9/11. And it's not pretty. But that's OK. Even on bad hair days, we're still the same inside. Here's the story, morning glory.

Right after 9/11, I got a job as secretary at the homeless office at Welfare Square in Salt Lake City. An average of 70 people came through the office every day willing (most of them, anyhoo) to do volunteer work in exchange for food, housing and clothing. That office was on the front lines of what it means to be human at the most basic, physical level. And those people reached deeply into my soul and showed me much about what it means to find spiritual strength and sustenance, even if you're hungry and cold.

Just the month before, with the help of my mother, I had moved cross country to remove myself from a potentially life-threatening situation.

Fibromyalia Has its Benefits

12 hour days, lately: sitting in front of the computer until I can't see straight let alone form a complete thought. The good news is, I've got all the graphic design done for the soon-to-be released all new website. One of the things that really stinks with fibromyalgia is that every once in awhile you get lost in pretty hilarious brain fog, which sometimes isn't so hilarious. (As in, I sent the manuscript to my editor's old address in late February because I was too out of it to realize that email with the address was from last August.)

Hello dolly! I just found out today that she hadn't received it, so I had to reschedule the recording dates with the narrator for Secret Speakers, and I'll very likely have to push back the release date to June. Ah well, letting things lie fallow is always a good thing. Better things grow that way.

But I still want to say Stinky Bananies, as my kids and I used to say when life throws you trouble. I think I'm going to go turn on some music and dance, even if it hurts! Then, I'll go to bed laughing, reminding myself to be grateful that the reason I've done so much writing, graphic design of the book and website is because I've been in too much pain and fatigue to move beyond my desk . . . or bed . . . or couch. Its amazing how your view of reality changes with a little gratitude.

A Goodreads No-No

If you're a novelist, and more importantly an entrepreneurial author, you want to go where your readers are. (Assuming that you want to develop side by side rapport with them and know what they're interested in as a reader as well as a person.) But there are a few no-no's. If you want to just do shameless self-promotion, people on Goodreads will likely shut you out and delete your messages right away. We're a tight bunch of loyal readers who have relationships with each other, even if it's just our love of the written word. Want a tip?

If you're a novelist, and more importantly an entrepreneurial author, you want to go where your readers are. (Assuming that you want to develop side by side rapport with them and know what they're interested in as a reader as well as a person.) But there are a few no-no's. If you want to just do shameless self-promotion, people on Goodreads will likely shut you out and delete your messages right away. We're a tight bunch of loyal readers who have relationships with each other, even if it's just our love of the written word. Want a tip?

Secret Speakers Wins Textnovel's Cell Phone Novel Award

Thanks to all my reading heroes out there who waded their way through the online version of Secret Speakers and the Search for Selador's Gate at Textnovel. Thanks to you, it won the 2008 Reader's Choice Award! You are all my best friends now, and I think we should have a party somewhere with lots of music, dancing and food. What's funny, is I didn't think it would be well-accepted since it is a long-form (not short-form) cell phone novel. Lonnnng. Boring.

I'm glad you all didn't think so. It shows how smart and amazing you are.  Truly. And I hope some of you start writing the next great novel on your cell phone. I mean seriously, would you rather be texting your best friend or the guy you have a crush on . . .

I'm glad you all didn't think so. It shows how smart and amazing you are.  Truly. And I hope some of you start writing the next great novel on your cell phone. I mean seriously, would you rather be texting your best friend or the guy you have a crush on . . .

Are You Twittering Yet? Tips on Twittering.

Are you twittering yet? If you're not, you should be if you want to be an entrepreneur author who makes really scary roaring sounds to get peoples attention. Well, Twitter is more like meowing. The thing with Twitter is you answer--on the website in 140 letters or less--"What are you doing?" Here are a few super-easy tips that you can remember:

After you've signed up which takes about three seconds, you can click on "follow" and select the twitter tab if you want to look people up who are already on the site.

You do NOT want to keep twittering so that it's simply a conversation with yourself floating around in the universe. (But then, I talk to myself all the time, so I personally don't have a problem with that!) When you look at your updates, it's nice to see a smattering of other updates and direct messages (shown by the @ symbol) to remind yourself that you have friends.

If you like someone's comment, let your mouse hover over their update on the right. You'll see an arrow. Click on it to reply and do an "@" thingy.

Are you twittering yet? If you're not, you should be if you want to be an entrepreneur author who makes really scary roaring sounds to get peoples attention. Well, Twitter is more like meowing. The thing with Twitter is you answer--on the website in 140 letters or less--"What are you doing?" Here are a few super-easy tips that you can remember:

After you've signed up which takes about three seconds, you can click on "follow" and select the twitter tab if you want to look people up who are already on the site.

You do NOT want to keep twittering so that it's simply a conversation with yourself floating around in the universe. (But then, I talk to myself all the time, so I personally don't have a problem with that!) When you look at your updates, it's nice to see a smattering of other updates and direct messages (shown by the @ symbol) to remind yourself that you have friends.

If you like someone's comment, let your mouse hover over their update on the right. You'll see an arrow. Click on it to reply and do an "@" thingy.

Tips on How to Prepare for Book Expo America

If you're reading this article, then you're probably writing a book, have written a book, or sell books. In other words: you have words that you want to mean something others and you. Here are some practical tips on how to prepare for Book Expo America, in checklist form, organized by category. It's being held in New York this year, May 28 - 31, 2009.

WHAT IS BOOK EXPO AMERICA? (Otherwise known as BEA)

BEA is the largest book sellers trade show in America. If you have a book you want to promote, or even if you're in the process of writing one, BEA is a must-see. It's a fantastic way to meet people in the industry. Here are some helpful tips to consider:

Entrepreneur First. Author Second.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I met Mark Victor Hansen, Robert Allen, Richard Paul Evans, Ben Mack, Tad Lignell, Orson Scott Card and Cindy Cashman during the Fall of 2007. (You can tell by the helmet-head hair do.) Why did I go out of my way to do that when I was at the early stages of writing Secret Speakers? Sure, writing is a craft. I write because I can't NOT write. It's part of who I am. It's part of what I have to give. But it is also a business. Promoting yourself is performance. When you think about it, everyone Oprah interviews is performing at that moment in time, regardless of what occupation they pursue. It's not much different for you, if you are promoting your book. Once again, it's business.

The Dragon in My House

I'm ready to admit it: My life is one big, huge dragon that fills every room in the house. Wherever I go, I see it lying there, ready to devour me--if I'm in the room where I can see it's jagged teeth, that is.

(Wait, do dragons have teeth? Yes, of course they do. I'm looking at them right now. Sheesh.) And sometimes it's ready to release it's treasures to me IF, by chance, it happens to be sleeping and I am very, very quick. Such narrow focus on my part. Remember the big picture, Karey. The big picture. Talk about THAT.

When I found out that I had a blog on my profile page at Goodreads, I was giddy, but the thing is THIS: I don't know what to say without having someone see how HEEEuge the dragon in my house actually is. Arrrrgh! (That was the dragon growling, not me.) And SO. I've decided to just be transparent and frank. After all, if I'm going to put a book out for all the world to see, then why in the WORLD would I hide my hilariously sinister, mysterious, and dramatic life of desperate deeds from all the heroes in my life? I mean, WHY?

It just might be that my dragon isn't so bad after all. Actually, his teeth are really white and shiny. Maybe he uses white strips. Oh, and his name is, uh, Harold.

Questions I hope to answer

I read an interesting blog article this morning from Kassia Croszer's, "BookSquare." The following response to her post really got me wondering:

Sean Cranbury // Jan 5, 2009 at 8:43 am

Why does the book publishing world believe that they need specific technology for their readers?

Why do we need the Sony Reader or the Kindle?

Why are ebooks not created for mass technology that already exists in the hands of common people.

Why not generate files or books that can be easily downloaded and viewed on blackberry, iPhone, Samsung, Motorola, whatever?

Are we not at the intersection of technology and life?

TextNovel contest is just two days away. Oh, the suspense!

The suspense is mounting! I entered Secret Speakers and the Search for Selador's Gate as a cell phone novel in the TextNovel contest last week. (I think it was last week. It' all been a blur), and within a few days Secret Speakers jumped to the number one spot. I was shocked. The  contest at TextNovel for the $1000 prize is midnight, January 31, 2008. That's just two days away! It's been an amazing ride, as I've struggled, learned, and delighted in discovering how fun the cell phone novel world is.

Thanks to all those who are reading what for me, was a long, long (but very exciting) journey to dictate the life of Fair O'Nelli and her dog in the world of Cloven Grave.

Goodreads.com

 

You've got to check out my all-time favorite social portal. It's like facebook, but for people who like to read.

The Monkster

Monk is is on a quest. He lives his story so, well, perfectly. I wrote a poem in his honor.

Ode to Monk

Smudges on noses, and wipes used for mittens.

White shirts that all match and paychecks unwritten.

Crimes to be solved by the Monk on the wing.

These are a few of my favorite things.

When my fears bite, when my doubts sting, when I'm feeling sad,

I simply remember my favorite show, and then I don't feel so bad.

Thanks Tony Shalhoub. I bet you grew up eating huge frisbees of Lebanese bread.

P.S. Monk is one of my superheroes and he's not even real. How silly is that! But the thing is, he helps me get through the bad days when all I can do is lie on the couch in pain. Besides, it's all about the story. The quest. The spin. The bean. The Monkster faces his fears. We all need to face our own fears every day. If he can survive, then we can, too. Even if we feel like a worm that just got stepped on and no one noticed.

Ode to Chilies and Cherries

Ho hum. My derriere is sore from so much sitting, and I need something else to think about: My favorite things!

And so I must--of course--start with dark chocolate. Chocolove's 'Chilies and Cherries' is by far my favorite.

Oh my. I just killed a bug that was flying in front of the computer screen. Little baby flying bug, I'm sorry. I had Chilies and Cherries on my mind. I hope you're in a better place now.

Here's what I have to say about Chocolove's Chilies and Cherries (and any high quality dark chocolate that melts in your mouth): Ahem, just a little poem I wrote:

Ode to Chilies and Cherries

Dark chocolate makes it much easier to love, on the days when loving is hard to bear.

Dark chocolate brightens the gloomiest of days and makes the sun come out, I swear.

Dark chocolate gives me energy, and makes my mouth turn up in curls.

It's  worth it's weight in--not just gold--but in diamond and gems, rubies and pearls.

When given a choice between jewels and chocolate, I'll take chocolate any time. The joy lasts longer.

Please Introduce Yourself

 Hello and welcome! 

Have a seat... if you dare. I'm Karey Shane, otherwise known as K.S.R. Kingworth.

One of the chairs has gently exploding firecrackers inside the seat cushion, with a really long fuse attached to it, but the darn thing is I can't remember which one it's under.

So, make yourself comfortable. As comfortable as you can, that is. And remember, no matter what happens in life (firecrackers or not), there is always forgiveness. There is always hope. There is always laughter, and there is always, always love. God listens. Always.

It's time for stories. Have a chocolate. 

P.S. Please tell me who you are and what you had for breakfast today.  Thank you, dear. And please: Don't tell me it was a donut.