7 Year Itch- Happy Birthday Jack!!!
Please join me is wishing a very happy birthday to the world’s cutest little terrible terrier muse ever!
We Love you Sweet Jackster! Thanks for being you!
Scribing New
After working in Word for all of my books (and all of my near books) I have long been jealous of my writing buds who smoothly tout the benefits of working with the writing program Scrivener. They talk about how they don’t have to writer linearly, how they divide and then compile their scenes, how they can color code their scenes however they want and outline their work right there on their computer and so much more. Yeah, I was mad jelly. But you see I had Scrivener on my computer and I tried the program, but my hard to retrain brain just couldn’t get around the program.
Well, last week my good friend, super talented writer and it turns out computer wiz, Laura K. Curtis came by to help take me out of the ‘Dummie’ stage in my long Scrivener quest.
After her patiently going over and over how to insert files, add new files, label postcards and explaining ‘The Inspector’ (what is that again?) I’m honestly nowhere near what you would call an expert…
But maybe I can now call myself a Novice as opposed to a Dummie. Hey, as long as I remember to keep hitting save every few minutes and just keep writing I should be a Novice plus in about 2 years or 3 books. Whichever comes first.
Tell me are you trying to tackle learning anything new or have you done so after doing it the same old way for so long?
All the best,
KMJ
In the Breeze
Just a bit of Sunday beauty seen at a stoplight yesterday to remind you to pause sometime and look around. You never know what beauty you may be missing when you’re blowing by life a little too fast.
Have a great day!
All the best,
KMJ
Skunked!
Good day peeps! Hope this hump day is treating you right. I’m starting off trying to get over a couple of humps. The 1st, the day before, of tripping over my laptop cord and watching that thing crash to the floor. Heart stopping there. And the lesson: Backup! Backup!! Backup!!
The next is: a skunk must have gone by last night and had a spray storm right by our house. Ugh! The smell work me in the middle of the night and it still has me riled today. I’m hoping the smell of frying bacon is a worthy air freshener. In my mind it is.
Oh well that said, I’m wishing you an easy way downhill from the hump. Watch those skunks.
All the best,
KMJ
They’re Closer Than You Think
Now that I’ve finished book 3 and handed it in I’m left tapping my fingers until I get my editing notes and have to look at the final book in my Creative Hearts series for the big clean up to get it ready for production.
In the meantime it’s time to face the fact that it’s time to move on and step into a new world of my own making. Now sure, I could very well add on and on and on to this series, but it really is time to start something now. There are new stories, new ideas and most importantly, new characters that are starting to take shape and voice in my head, while the old ones are enjoying their Happily Ever Afters or at least Happily for Nows off in the sunset. Yes, the time is now.
You can’t live your life in the rearview mirror. All the while hitting the breaks and holding up traffic. There’s too much crash potential. As the warning heeds, the objects behind you are closer than you think.
All the best,
KMJ
On Stage- Me at Lady Jane’s!
Those who have followed me for a while on ye old blog know what a fan I am of Lady Jane’s Salon, the monthly romance reading series held here in New York and now branched out in satellites all over the US. Well, since its inception Lady Jane’s quickly became my monthly getaway where I got to meet up with friends who were also lovers of the romance genre and hear some of my favorite authors whom I have long admired read from their newest works.
Well last night, and I still can’t get over it, it was my turn. Nervous doesn’t begin to express my feelings as I hit the Lady Jane’s stage since I’d been nervous for weeks and months leading up to the event. But looking out it was a pack house full of so many supportive friends, including my dear DH (we were enjoying our 24th anniversary last night too) and I went for it.
And I survived. I even got a few laughs. My 8 minutes were up before I knew it. I said a few words, read from THROUGH THE LENS and was back by my dear’s side in no time. Finishing my drink. Whew! (here we are below with Ron Hogan who announced our anniversary).
I can’t say thank you enough to all those snubbed their noses at Mother Nature and packed the house out ( and it was packed) and came to see Sara Jane Stone, Leslie Caroll, Jes Young and little old me! Thank you so much and thank you once again to Hope, Ron, Leanna and Maya for all the support and the continuous support of the romance genre.
All the best,
KMJ
A Little Math Magic
Happy 24th Anniversary to my dear DH. Every time I think of the number it just amazes me. How is it that what seems like yesterday and 1+1 turning into 2 and then just like that—POOF—in the blink of an eye, 2 tuned into 4 then, WHAM! You go to sleep in the loving arms of your Prince and you wake up and you’re looking back on that 2 and 4 turning into 24 years of life, love, laughter and memories.
Thank you my dear DH with all my heart, all my soul and all my love. Who knew 24 could breeze by so quickly?
I can’t wait to see what the next cool breeze brings.
Love,
Me
image fm we heart it
3rd Time’s a Charm
In what seems almost unbelievable to me, yesterday afternoon I typed THE END, yet again, and then took the big, scary leap into the abyss and pressed send as I sent BOOK 3, my final book in my Creative Heart’s series (tentatively set for a January release), off to my editor at Crimson. In true Kwana form, as soon as I pressed send, I immediately wanted to find that magic button that said RETRACT, but guess what? There is none (why oh why doesn’t the internet have a 5 second rule? Imagine how many reckless mistakes could be avoided with just this one little button. How many eyeballs could be spared the runaway hot dogs). Oh well, it’s GONE now. And all I can do now is sit back and stew as I await the verdict on it. In the meantime I already have new ideas percolating so I guess the keyboard won’t have long to cool off as new characters are already whispering. No rest for the creative weary.
And in a huge bit of coolness check out what I got to hold in my hot little hands…yes, the print version of Book 2, SEDUCTION’S CANVAS! Please excuse me while I drool for awhile and turn into Smeagol from The Lord of The Rings and just stroke and put “My precious” on repeat. Talk about gorgeous. I have to say I’m loving it (and Jack is too) . What a fantastic job on this book and cover. And eek! I’ll be signing some of this and THROUGH THE LENS at Lady Jane’s Salon at my 1st reading on Monday October 7th. What a time to be had! Check out the details here.
Have a great day!
All the best,
KMJ
image fm we heart it
Happy Friday from Me and The Jackster
Happy Friday Friends!
We’ve made it through another week. Go us!
I wanted to say a huge thank you. Once again, THROUGH THE LENS made the Crimson Romance top 5 books for the 2nd week in a row. I’m so thrilled about that. And as an added bonus the trailer for SEDUCTION’S CANVAS made the USA TODAY HEA column yesterday. You can click here to see it. What a thrill! Also it’s finally here…. SEDUCTION’S CANVAS is not available in PRINT as well as e-form. So you hand sold it and feel it and read it any way you like! Order your PRINT copy today!
It’s been gorgeous early fall weather here in the Northeast (I hope just a beautiful where you are) and Jack and I got to spend quite a bit of time on the porch while I worked in the old WIP (I’m in the final stretch now). This weekend will be spent probably, not out in the sun while I work, but down in the basement Bat Cave where the hubs will occasionally bring me down a bite of something for nourishment. He knows that trying to coax me out will only cause the beast to growl.
I’m thinking my little muse may be down there with me since he’s been out of sorts lately. Moping around, not really eating much and just blah. I have a feeling he’s eaten something he wasn’t supposed to on one of our walks and it’s gotten to his sensitive stomach.
Here’s hoping we both make to Monday bright and shiny and new and with a story that sings. Jack and I are wishing you a happy weekend!
All the best,
KMJ
It’s a Festivus for The Rest of Us!
I had the best time hanging out in Brooklyn yesterday at the annual Brooklyn Book Festival with some of my RWA/NYC chapter mates. I was honored that during my time slot I got to sign with the super talented Kate McMurray. We had so much fun greeting folks and talking about romance and the romance industry. Honestly, the introvert in me didn’t think I’d enjoy it, but I can now admit with such a lovely day, wonderful friends and company and all the happy smiling faces of the New Yorkers loving reading, I think I may be hooked and can’t wait to go back next year. Thanks so much to RWA/NYC and the fantastic team lead by Jeanine Mc Adam. What a time!
Oh and my fave moment of the day is the little pic of the woman tapping her phone in the bottom right corner. She read my card and decided to buy THROUGH THE LENS right then and there for her subway ride home. What I fun moment and I love my bookish New Yorkers so very much!
All the best,
KMJ
