Hi everyone at Give a Girl a Pen,

I wanted to share my exciting news. My debut novel, Dark Future a sexy time-travel romance, is coming out October 11th from Avon Impulse. And what can be better than a new novel out…a sale I tell you. Right now, Dark Future is on sale for .99cents at Amazon for a limited time. To whet your appetite here’s the back cover blurb.

Awakened in the middle of the night by a future version of herself, Kris Davenport is given a mission: go forward in time to save the world—and His life. Of course, her future self doesn’t tell her who he is, just sends her into an abyss and straight into an alien invasion.

He turns out to be ConRad Smith, the callous, untrusting Commander of Earth’s army and the world’s last defense. There’s only one way to know for sure if this strange woman is an alien spy—slice her throat. Except, he didn’t anticipate the heat he would feel as he interrogates the hot-tempered, warm-blooded woman. For a man whose sole focus has been survival, she’s more temptation than he can handle. But a world on the brink of destruction leaves no room for love…and time is running out.

Come check it out on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Future-ebook/dp/B005JSMM8Q

Thanks everyone for all your support. Happy reading!

KC Klein is the author of Dark Future, a sexy futuristic time-travel. She became serious about writing three years ago and was as surprised as anyone when her stories took a turn toward dark and snarky. Today, she divides her time between taking care of her family and driving in circles around Arizona, too busy creating stories in her head to pay attention to mere road signs. KC would love a visit at kckleinbooks.com.

Well, it’s that time, and in case you’ve forgotten, or have a life of your own, I’m one of ten finalists in the RT/ Brava contest. Each month the contestants vie for votes, and the last one standing gets a book deal. The first round is up, so go check it out. www.rtbookreviews.com/content/writing-stars-vote-first-paragraph-and-last-line.

It blows my mind that I’ve gotten the opportunity to have snippets from my manuscript published in a national magazine. How crazy is that?

This makes me reflect on the manuscript that’s featured in the contest, Dark Future. Not only is this my first manuscript, but I wrote it from an intimate place. The book started simply with my passion for telling stories. I wrote Dark Future before I knew what point of view was, active writing, or even much about grammar.

Dark Future was written from a place of truth. I took my life’s experiences and put them into book. I used my feelings of anger at my father’s abandonment, my fear of disappointing my mother, my isolation from being a new mom, and my need to get lost in a different world.

I’m still surprised at how dark some scenes from my story became. I remember feeling nervous as I wrote scenes that seemed more personal to me then just words on the page. It might have been different people in different circumstances, but they were the same feelings.

It’s scary to rip off the façade and show the world what’s underneath. It’s also addicting.

I began to write every spare second I could, longhand in a blank notebook, on a lunch hour or when the kids were napping. For me, simply completing this book was a huge accomplishment. I never dreamed it would get this far.

So, to whet your appetite, here is the pitch I used at a national conference one year.

Armageddon has arrived. One soldier stands between two worlds. One woman, chosen out of her time, stands in his way. Only together they can change the past…or face a  Dark Future.

Go and read my first paragraph and last line; it’s now up at the RT reviews books website. www.rtbookreviews.com/content/writing-stars-vote-first-paragraph-and-last-line.

And please remember to vote. This round goes from now until October 24^th, and it only takes 10 seconds!

KC Klein is the author of Dark Future, a sexy futuristic time-travel. She became serious about writing three years ago and was as surprised as anyone when her stories took a turn toward dark and snarky. Today, she divides her time between taking care of her family and driving in circles around Arizona, too busy creating stories in her head to pay attention to mere road signs. KC would love a visit at kckleinbooks.com.

So how did I feel when I became one of the RT/Brava Writing with the Stars finalists?

In one word—terrified, okay, maybe that’s not entirely true. I was also happy, elated, honored, but terrified sure was up there.

I hadn’t known the competition even existed until Erin Kellison, my crit partner, emailed me the announcement. After reading the email, my stomach tightened, and my heart rate reached dangerous levels. I knew my manuscript, Dark Future, was perfect for the contest, and for some reason that scared me all the more. Being the fearless and intrepid person that I am, I decided not to enter. I had too many legit reasons. The Brava line was too sexy, too bold. What would my mother think? With over five hundred entries, the chances of me becoming a finalist were nil at best.

I entered anyways.

A few weeks later, I received an email from Megan Records asking me to call her with my contact information. I emailed her instead, and immediately went in search of my mobile phone. My phone was ringing before I even got downstairs. Megan told me I was one of the ten finalists. I don’t remember much after that. Soon there was a flurry of emails. Bios needed to be sent, headshots taken and web sites launched. And of course, I had none of these things.

I spent a few sleepless nights researching the other competitors and realized I had some stiff competition…a lawyer, a housewife, multiple mothers, and many, many contest finalists. My palms got a little sweaty, and then I reminded myself that hey, I’m a multiple contest finalist too, (a winner of the Revel Your Inner Vixen), but this didn’t help the sweat rings under my arms.
One thing is for sure, even if I get booted out during the first round, this competition has put a fire under my rear end, and because of that I am one step closer to being a published writer.

Please visit me at kckleinbooks.com, and don’t forget to vote. You can cast your vote beginning on Oct 11th on the RT website at RTBookReviews.com.

KC

KC Klein is the author of Dark Future, a sexy futuristic time-travel. She became serious about writing three years ago and was as surprised as anyone when her stories took a turn toward dark and snarky. Today, she divides her time between taking care of her family and driving in circles around Arizona, too busy creating stories in her head to pay attention to mere road signs. KC would love a visit at kckleinbooks.com.

What is your idea of a perfect day? Is it sitting on the beach sipping a margarita? Is it going out for wine, dinner and a movie? Is it getting your house cleaned?
I had a perfect day recently and it included nothing on the above list. (But if hubby is reading this the last one is greatly needed and would be much appreciated.)
The morning started out fabulous. I woke up on time, worked out, had my hubby take the kids to school , and I enjoyed a peaceful breakfast while I planned out my day. By nine that morning I had the kitchen cleaned and was armed with a cup of green tea and a protein snack ready for my commute. A few steps and one flight of stairs later I was in my writing office complete with a door that shuts and ear buds for my Pandora. A productive morning ensued, a break for a good lunch and then a few more hours of writing until the kiddos came home from school.
It wasn’t until my daughter asked me how my day was that I stopped and thought about what I had accomplished. I realized how much I appreciated working as a “writer” even if it was for just one day. I had no overwhelming “to do” list or any great adventure, but all in all I couldn’t remember a time where I felt more at peace.
Only a writer or some other artist would be completely content to do nothing except work their craft all day. Not many people could understand that. Realizing this, I answered my daughter truthfully. It was perfect.

KC Klein is the author of Dark Future, a sexy futuristic time-travel. She became serious about writing three years ago and was as surprised as anyone when her stories took a turn toward dark and snarky. Today, she divides her time between taking care of her family and driving in circles around Arizona, too busy creating stories in her head to pay attention to mere road signs. KC would love a visit at kckleinbooks.com.

photo credit: Iza & Audrey Love !

Have you lost your joy of writing? Do you question the insanity of pursuing a career in publishing? Do you obsess over certain milestones—contest wins, judges’ comments, rejection letters? Do you wish you could give it up and just walk away?

A few months back this happened to me. I had lost my joy. My stomach was in knots over self doubt. I cried at night at the thought of walking way and equally over the thought of walking the “unpubbed” road for years to come.

How could something I love so much cause me so much pain?

But this was the crux of the problem. I knew I couldn’t give up the dream of writing for a living. I’ve wanted to give it up, Lord knows I tried, but once I’d scraped up enough courage to start this journey I knew there was no going back. Writing is as much a part of me as my right arm.

As profound as this realization was, that still didn’t mean I was happy about it. I was still joyless. But I realized something. This moment, this day, were all parts of my life, and I had the responsibility to cherish it. I needed to find a way to be okay with the possibility of never being published, of winning or bombing a contest. I needed to find my center, a truth that wouldn’t be dependent on outside factors.

The good news is that I found my joy again. How? There is no cure-all, but a process. I re-read my earlier writings and patted myself on my back on how far I’d come. I gave thanks for a great critique group and took advantage of my monthly RWA meetings.

I put writing back into perspective.

I strived for balance, and believe that I’ve found some. I need to write, but also need my family and an outside life. I’d never be able to get the years back of my children’s life if I was spending all my time obsessing about being published or not. I want to look back over my career with no regrets, and thus accepting what I can do and what I can’t.

I try not to compare my journey with anyone else. The paths to success are numerous. There is no one right way.

Positive affirmations. Positive sayings have saved my life from spiraling into a deep black hole. If you tell yourself you are a success, then eventually you have to believe it. And the first person who has to believe that you have talent, is you.

Yes, I’ve found the joy again, and that happiness has spilled over into my daily life. My heart speeds up at the end of a well-written scene. I carry a smile around when I figure out the “missing” piece to my WIP. But I am ever on alert to the veering off the well-balanced, joyful road.

What about you? Have you lost your joy? And if so how did you get it back?

KC Klein is the author of Dark Future, a sexy futuristic time-travel. She became serious about writing three years ago and was as surprised as anyone when her stories took a turn toward dark and snarky. Today, she divides her time between taking care of her family and driving in circles around Arizona, too busy creating stories in her head to pay attention to mere road signs. KC would love a visit at kckleinbooks.com.

There are a lot of blog/articles about the Writer’s Life: How to break in, how to organize, a glimpse into, and my favorite how to balance the Writer’s life. But is this really possible? Can you really balance the creative person who lives in her own fantasy world with the professional decision maker, who has to be present and interact with real people?

I personally struggle with this and have most of my life. When I am in my writing world everything goes to pot. Case in point, it took me over two weeks on semi-vacation to dig my house out. But this is a new year and of course, a time for new beginnings. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my life long search has actually produced some viable tips. But make no mistake, searching for the ever elusive balance will be my lifelong pursuit, though I do feel like I’m getting closer.

In an effort to keep myself from sounding to self-neurotic I will put this in a three part blog, because no one wants to read my ramblings for more than ten minutes. So here is tip number one and in my mind the most important.

Set a schedule.

You’ve heard this before. Heck, I heard it at least hundred times at the RWA nationals alone, but why? Because simply put, it works. Now, I’ve tried this at least a dozen times and failed all attempts. Previously, I tried to make other writers’ schedules work for me, but I’m not them and they don’t live my life. Then I found the key to sticking with my program—flexibility.           Every day of the week is different for me, and at times my schedule changes from week to week. What I’ve done is to look ahead and set realistic goals. I put due dates on them and have a program on my phone that allows me to “check” them off as I go. (Sounds a tad compulsive, similar to the character Monica on Friends, but she was super organized and successful, right?)

Some writers have a word count they try to reach every day, but that never worked for me. There were some days when I knew I wouldn’t be able to open my computer, much less reach a word count. Plus, what about when you’re in the revision process? There were days I worked for hours and ended with a negative word count. Talk about demoralizing.

I make my goals small, but attainable. For example: Have the rough draft of chapter 3 written, and have a polished chapter 2 ready for crit group on Wednesday. I do this for housework also: One load of laundry, folded and put away by Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and one bathroom cleaned on Tuesday and Thursday.

When I plan out my week then sometimes…most times, something wonderful happens. I get ahead of schedule. This might not seem such amazing feat to some, but for the person who is always behind, five minutes late, and making the deadlines by forgoing sleep, this is a beautiful thing. I have actually found myself working on projects, blogs, chapters, ahead of my scheduled plan.

I will be posting other things that have worked for me. Now it’s your turn to share, tell me what works for you. How do you balance your life with the paying job, kids, husbands, and other obligations? I’m always excited to implement new tips into my daily life.

KC Klein is the author of Dark Future, a sexy futuristic time-travel. She became serious about writing three years ago and was as surprised as anyone when her stories took a turn toward dark and snarky. Today, she divides her time between taking care of her family and driving in circles around Arizona, too busy creating stories in her head to pay attention to mere road signs. KC would love a visit at kckleinbooks.com.