Book recommendations

Now, I will be the first to say, I don’t think books should be gendered. I am well aware I will get flack for that. I understand and am used to it.  Putting that aside for a minute, at the library this past week I stumbled on a treasure trove of wonderful girl books. As a rule I don’t push any agenda on my daughters, wanting them to make up their own minds, but I do continuously empower them with messages of they can do anything, because well, that is what any good parent will do.

And with those two things being known, let me tell you about these three books that shout girl empowerment, but also happen to just be really good books.

Two of them were by Ashley Spires who writes really fun stories about not giving up. About trying and failing and then trying again. I highly recommend them both, my daughters (5 and 9) both enjoyed them.  I also really liked the illustrations here, and will be on the lookout for more by her.

The third was Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty, and this is maybe my favorite because not only was she a girl scientist but she had a family that encouraged her. That learned with her. That held her up instead of holding her back. Which, I think is huge for boys or girls and we definitely need to see more of it in books for the elementary age set.

So I would highly recommend any of these three books if you have kids in this age range. Boy or girl, cause I really continue to hope that kids read more. All kids.

A sneak peak

It took me a while and I know it need work, probably majorly since I am well aware I went off the rails, but….Carnival Ink is done. This is the book I’m going to polish till it shines so I can query it to agents. I’m hopeful, but I know it’s not an easy thing I’m undertaking. But since I’m still riding the high of it being done, I thought I’d share a sneak peak of it.

It might not end up sounding exactly like this once it’s all revised and shiny, but i’m pretty proud of this part.

Edith nodded once before closing her eyes. She pictured the sea. The crash of the waves on the beach. The sound as it hit the columns or the pier. How beautiful it was to look out and see forever. In her mind she floated just atop the waves, walking away from the dreary world she lived in. Peace filled her. Edith was awash in it, until a curse from Zora pulled her out of her dreams.

“What did you do? What kind of magic is this?” Zora stood back, her hands at her sides shaking. The needle she had held was on the floor.

“I didn’t do anything. Nothing! I don’t have magic.” Edith sprung from the table and looked down at her arm. When she had pictured the tarot card tattoo was now a arm full of blue. The card was there, Temperance, in all it’s glory, but it was not alone. Her whole arm was covered in swirls and an intricate design. Edith turned her arm this way and that, trying to see any pattern.  

Well then…..

On this past Friday I had all these plans. I was going to send a newsletter (my first one) out about the release of Alien Like Me. It was due to release on April 30th, though in the end it actually came out a week early. But, I didn’t send out a newsletter. I didn’t shout from the roof with joy over my new releases. Why? You may ask… Because Friday, I received an email saying that my publisher would be shutting doors. Yup, one day before my book was due to release (officially) my publisher shuts down. It’s a bit hard to be super excited about a new book when you know it will only be on the shelf for 30 days before being unceremoniously yanked.

It’s also quite ironic really, that on the day after the publisher lets us know they are closing, the day my book was supposed to be being given to the world, my paperbacks showed up in the mail. So, I mean, at least there is that, yes?

I think though, and this may just me being Zen and trying to not freak out, I think I’m gonna be okay. Yes my books may be un-shelved for a while, but I will get them back out there. Self pub seems to be the way to go, and I shall be going that way with gusto. So, be on the lookout. Keep up with me, don’t give up on me, this is not the end. Only the beginning of something new. Something better.

So cheers folks, and if you want to snag a copy of either Alien Like Me or The Dragon Child, you should do it now, you only have until may 31. I’m not sure how long it will take me to get them ready to go back live, but it hopefully won’t be that long.

It’s Cover Reveal Day!!!!

It is finally here, the day I get to show off the cover for Alien Like Me, my newest middle grade novel. It was a long, hard road, and at points I thought we might never get a cover done, but we did (thank the good gods for Gwen Gades) and here it is!!!

I should give you the blurb, but really I just want you to gaze on the beauty that is this cover (and the other folks sharing it today have the blurb if you are so inclined).

So here it is, FINALLY!!! The release date is going to be April 30th, so i hope you check it out when it’s available 🙂

Introducing Dragon’s Revenge by Kandi J Wyatt

This is the third book in Kandi J Wyatt’s Dragon Courage series.

Dragon’s Revenge

In search of his place in the world, Kyn visits his new friend, Ben’hyamene. Together,

they meet an ailing dragon rider from the marshes of a land called the Carr. The rider

recounts a people beset by anger, depression, and despair. After befriending and healing

the rider, the group travels to the rider’s home. There they discover a breed of wild

dragons, called drakes, which have been at war with humans for four hundred years.

One sleepless night, Ben’hyamene uses his new abilities to communicate with the lead

drake. This sets Kyn and Ben’hyamene on a path that could bring peace to a conflict

that’s nearly destroyed a whole people. Can revenge be set aside and enemies be called

friends?

And a little bit about Kandi 🙂

Kandi is a wife, mom of five, teacher, artist and author. In her free time, she enjoys

writing fantasy, writing Christmas programs, drawing using graphite and colored pencils.

Portraits are her specialty. She also enjoys photography. Thank you to her photographer

husband who has let her join his journey in photography as well. She is both his model

and apprentice. (She still think he does a better job than her.) On occasion she’s his

assistant when working with clients and when he needs a “light stand with feet”.

You can find her all over the interwebs (be sure to click on her name at the top to go visit her website)

Facebook: http://facebook.com/kandijwyatt/

Google: http://plus.google.com/u/0/+KandiWyatt/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/kandijwyatt/

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/kandijwyatt/

A little tease of Alien Like Me

As I’m getting ready for the actual publishing of Alien Like Me, I thought Id share a tiny taste of it with you. A sweet piece of the story where Max and his new friends decide to keep each other. My hope is to have the book be out by mid to late April. I hope you’re excited for it, cause I am.

 

He cuddled his new friend who had again fallen asleep. “What do you think huh? You think we can push through and make it to the golden gate?”  Of course the hare didn’t answer Max but it helped him to have someone to talk out his plan with. He never really thought too hard about what it did to him to be alone but he was finding that the little brown ball of fluff made a great companion. He looked down at the hare, and it hit him that he should name it.  Constantly calling it little guy would probably get old quick. He ran his hands down the soft brown fur between his ears and it struck him. Brownie. “I’m going to call you Brownie, how bout that?” He was still asleep and didn’t answer Max but a twitch of his ear had Max smiling. “Brownie it is. Well let’s get ready to walk.”

Doing as I say, or, We’re off to see the wizard!

I told a friend the other day to make sure she was reading to her two year old. “It’s where they get their vocabulary” I told her. When my oldest was young I read to her everyday.  It never failed. It was our time together at the end of the day, or our time before nap to calm down. But something happened after I had my second daughter. My oldest was able to read to her. I let her. Good sister bonding time I thought, and I haven’t read a bedtime story since.

And you know what? That’s crap. It really is. I want them to bond, I really do, but it’s not my big girl’s job to do that. It’s mine. So in an effort to do as a say, I bought a copy of The Wizard of Oz to start reading to my girls. Because it is important to read to your children every day, even when they’re old enough to read to themselves. Also, I’ve never read it, only seen the movie and that needs to be remedied. I can’t wait to sit them down tonight and start to read it. To do funny voices. To look at the really cool illustrations.

Do you still read to your kids? I can’t believe I let it slip. I still remember my oldest daughter’s face every time I read her The Spider and The Fly, which is still one of her favorite books, 4 years later.

Dreams

I’ve never kept a dream journal. I wonder now if that was a huge mistake. I’ve always had crazy vivid dreams. When I was young I used to have a reoccurring dream about a vampire that tried to get me in my friends front yard. I had that same dream so many times that I still remember it in great detail, even though ti’s been about 20 years since I last had it. The same goes for the nightmare I used to have about the guy who hid in my closet all night, only coming out to get my after my mom had gone to bed.  For years I had that nightmare after watching one of those, To Catch A Predator type shows (thanks for that mom).

Even now as an a adult I have these crazy dreams. I wake with whole worlds built in my head, characters that are evil, those that are good, and a few in between. Worlds were things don’t work they way they do now, but oh, what if they did. And just this morning, for the first time ever, I wrote down my dream, because man will it make a good book. I haven’t yet decided how to flesh it out, what age range I should write it in, but the base is there, and it’s going to be fun.

Do you keep a dream journal? I may just start now. I have a fairly good stack of empty notebooks, I’m sure I can find one that will be perfect for this new purpose.

Book recs?

It’s that time of year. Gift buying time. So what do you buy for a 8 year old girl who devours books as quickly as her Halloween candy stash? MORE BOOKS!!! So, here’s my question. What’s your go to book for the mid grade age (well, some YA as well)? She’s gone through Dahl, and is reading The Warriors series. She’s tried all sorts of dragon books, and Choose Your Own Adventures.  I need something out of the box.  What do you think?

 

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Also, don’t forget to enter the rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to win one of two prizes; a gift basket or an Amazon gift card.

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e282fdf72/

I need a magic marketing pill, do you have one?

I write books because I love to. I love the random plot bunnies that dig in and won’t let go until I figure them out. I love to meet new characters. I love to have other people read the things that come out of my imagination. The sticking point on that last one is: I need to sell books.

I have no idea how to do that.

I truly don’t. I feel like marketing and then selling is like wandering in a cave blindfolded. I suck at it. No seriously, I do.

On Black Friday I was part of a promotion I hyped up for like a month. I dropped the price of my book. I sold 3. 3! It makes my head hurt.  I do everything I’m told to do; I tweet, I fb, I blog, I network, yet still I sell no books. I know I could say that I’m the common denominator and maybe my book sucks, but I just can’t accept that. Not yet. So I’m left to wonder just what I’m doing wrong.

It’s not a fun place to be let me tell you.

And now, because well, I’m marketing still, I’m part of this big Rafflecopter giveaway with a small group of fellow authors. It’s a chance at two great prizes, a gift basket full of goodies (signed books, swag, a gift card or two, even some boxers!) or a $60 Amazon gift card. So be sure to click on the word –> Rafflecopter <– and follow the link to enter. The more things you do, the more chances you have!!

 

 

**photo credit to morguefile.com