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Kelli's Quill Newsletter - Jan/Feb. 2009 Issue (Plus Voting Info about Preditors & Editors Poll)
Kelli’s Quill
The Official Newsletter of Kelli Wilkins
January/February Issue (Vol. 2 Number 1)
Welcome! There have been some changes to the Quill. First, it will be released as a double issue every other month (Jan./Feb., March/April, etc.). Second, I’m adding a new “Q&A with Kelli” section. Check out the New in 09 Section to learn how to vote in the Preditors & Editors Poll! (Voting ends Wed. Jan. 14.)
In Roman mythology, Janus was the God of Beginnings and Endings. The month of January is named after Him. This issue of the Quill reflects back on 2008 and looks ahead into 2009.
FOR READERS - 2008 RECAP:
Books: Kelli released three new romances with Amber Quill Press in 2008.
The Pauper Prince (March) - The follow-up to Dalton’s Temptation. (Book link is: http://amberquill.com/AmberHeat/PauperPrince.html
A Midsummer Night’s Delights (October) - This hot historical was a November 08 best-seller! (Book link is: http://www.amberquill.com/AmberHeat/MidsummerNightsDelights.html
Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover (December) - Kelli’s first paranormal romance. (Book link is: http://www.amberquill.com/AmberHeat/ConfessionsVampiresLover.html
Short stories: Kelli’s short story, “Sweet, Sweet Romance” was published in the March/April ’08 issue of ChickLitReview. To read the tender tale about finding love the second time around, visit: http://chicklitreview.org - The story should be archived in the library.
Killer Thriller Contest Win: Kelli’s short story, “Diamonds” won Honorable Mention in the 2008 Writing Readers “Killer Thriller” Contest. There were 267 entries in the contest.
Spooky Summer Fiction: Kelli’s horror tale, “Whispers from the Past” was included in the US 1 Summer Fiction issue.
Blogging: Kelli blogged on the Amber Quill site in Oct., Nov., and Dec. Look for her archived blogs via this link: http://aqpauthors.blogspot.com
Reviews & Interviews: Kelli’s books received great reviews and she conducted interviews with Two Lips Reviews, Coffeetime Romance, Night Owl Romance, and Manic Readers. Check out back issues of Kelli’s Quill for links.
NEW FOR ‘09
THE PREDITORS & EDITORS POLL: Kelli’s 2008 romances are entered in the Preditors & Editors Poll. Simply follow these links to vote:
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/novelerot.shtml
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/novelr.shtml
The Pauper Prince, A Midsummer Night’s Delights, and Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover are listed under BOTH categories, so you can vote for each one, in each category.
Follow this link to vote for Kelli as your favorite author: http://www.critters.org/predpoll/author.shtml
(If the links don’t come through, cut & paste the link into your Internet address bar.)
How to vote: Click on the circle next to the book title, then at the bottom fill in your name & email address. They will send you an email to confirm your vote, simply click on that link, and you’re done. You can only vote once in each category, per email address.
Please pass the voting info along to others who love to vote for things online! Voting ends Jan. 14!
Also NEW in 09:
Romance Junkies gives A Midsummer Night’s Delights a 4.5 Blue Ribbon Rating!
“What a romp! A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DELIGHTS is a delight in itself! I really felt for poor Julian and loved how he “rose” to finding the solution to his predicament. And Annabelle proved to be an apt pupil for her lessons. They are endearing characters with a real problem and a rather thrilling, fun answer. Good writing and lots of action make this a book to recommend! — Kris Jones, Romance Junkies Reviewer”
You can read the whole review here: http://romancejunkiesreviews.com/artman/publish/historical/A_Midsummer_Night_s_Delights.shtml
Naughty Nobles! Kelli’s paperback romance anthology Naughty Nobles will be released in February. This book features three romances never before published in print! Here’s a sneak peek at the cover: http://amberquill.com/pics/NaughtyNobles.jpg
Two New Shorts: “Snowy Sweethearts” will be published in the January issue of New Love Stories magazine. “What was I Thinking?” is scheduled for a February release in True Love.
Q&A WITH KELLI
Q: The genres you write typically are very different, is there something you do to get in the mode for writing one or the other?
A: In my experience, writing in several genres requires a change in mindset. Each genre, whether contemporary fiction, horror, or romance has a different feel to it, so I have to switch gears and write the story using the elements specific to the genre. I always have most (if not all) of a story in my head before I start writing it, so once I sit down to write I just get settled and tell the story as it comes to me.
I like to write in multiple genres because it lets me explore different types of stories and characters. Sometimes after writing a few romances, I’ll take a “break” and write short horror fiction. I think that switching from one genre to another lets me refocus my creativity and keeps the writing fresh.
Q: Do you find writing horror or romance harder?
A. Neither one is harder to write – although sometimes writing any story can be hard! Once I know what I want to write I just go with it and don’t worry about the genre. All stories are unique anyway, so every time I write something, it’s always new and different.
My horror stories are generally shorter pieces (1,000-5,000 words), so there’s a sense that they’re “easier” because a shorter word count generally means less time spent in the revising and editing stages. My romance books are anywhere from 5,000-60,000 words, so they take a considerably longer amount of time and seem “harder” to get done.
FOR WRITERS:
“All I want to do is just sit here, write it all down, and rest for a while.”- Sinead O’Connor
Are you running around like a hamster on a wheel, rushing to finish projects, pushing to get submissions sent, and hurrying to write your next story? Writers need to be energized, focused, and motivated, but if all you do is work, work, work, you may be coming close to (or already suffering from) burnout. What’s the solution? Take a break.
Every so often, all creative people need to rest, recharge their batteries, gather their thoughts, and just be. If you overextend yourself by committing to enter every contest, edit a book in two days, or write a new story each day - you’re on your way to burnout. It’s great to have goals and be motivated, but you - and your muse - need some downtime.
So how can you reset yourself? Go for a walk. Read a book for fun. Dance. Play music. Watch a movie. Do nothing.
How much downtime you need depends on you and your commitments. Sometimes an afternoon “off” will be enough, while some people might decide to take a few days or a week off to recharge. And you don’t have to give up working/writing altogether. Maybe you’ll decide to submit finished stories, but not write anything new. Perhaps you’ll do research for a new project, or instead of writing every day, you’ll only write three days a week.
But whatever you do, don’t force it. The creative process can’t be rushed. Each writer works at his or her own pace. “I can do a lot, but I can’t do everything.” A wise person (we’ll call her Debbie) once reminded me of that simple, yet true, phrase. Does it apply to you?
----------------
I hope you enjoyed this issue of Kelli’s Quill. Please forward it to others who may be interested. You can also sign up in the “News” section of my website: www.KelliWilkins.com
Happy Reading,
Kelli
The Official Newsletter of Kelli Wilkins
January/February Issue (Vol. 2 Number 1)
Welcome! There have been some changes to the Quill. First, it will be released as a double issue every other month (Jan./Feb., March/April, etc.). Second, I’m adding a new “Q&A with Kelli” section. Check out the New in 09 Section to learn how to vote in the Preditors & Editors Poll! (Voting ends Wed. Jan. 14.)
In Roman mythology, Janus was the God of Beginnings and Endings. The month of January is named after Him. This issue of the Quill reflects back on 2008 and looks ahead into 2009.
FOR READERS - 2008 RECAP:
Books: Kelli released three new romances with Amber Quill Press in 2008.
The Pauper Prince (March) - The follow-up to Dalton’s Temptation. (Book link is: http://amberquill.com/AmberHeat/PauperPrince.html
A Midsummer Night’s Delights (October) - This hot historical was a November 08 best-seller! (Book link is: http://www.amberquill.com/AmberHeat/MidsummerNightsDelights.html
Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover (December) - Kelli’s first paranormal romance. (Book link is: http://www.amberquill.com/AmberHeat/ConfessionsVampiresLover.html
Short stories: Kelli’s short story, “Sweet, Sweet Romance” was published in the March/April ’08 issue of ChickLitReview. To read the tender tale about finding love the second time around, visit: http://chicklitreview.org - The story should be archived in the library.
Killer Thriller Contest Win: Kelli’s short story, “Diamonds” won Honorable Mention in the 2008 Writing Readers “Killer Thriller” Contest. There were 267 entries in the contest.
Spooky Summer Fiction: Kelli’s horror tale, “Whispers from the Past” was included in the US 1 Summer Fiction issue.
Blogging: Kelli blogged on the Amber Quill site in Oct., Nov., and Dec. Look for her archived blogs via this link: http://aqpauthors.blogspot.com
Reviews & Interviews: Kelli’s books received great reviews and she conducted interviews with Two Lips Reviews, Coffeetime Romance, Night Owl Romance, and Manic Readers. Check out back issues of Kelli’s Quill for links.
NEW FOR ‘09
THE PREDITORS & EDITORS POLL: Kelli’s 2008 romances are entered in the Preditors & Editors Poll. Simply follow these links to vote:
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/novelerot.shtml
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/novelr.shtml
The Pauper Prince, A Midsummer Night’s Delights, and Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover are listed under BOTH categories, so you can vote for each one, in each category.
Follow this link to vote for Kelli as your favorite author: http://www.critters.org/predpoll/author.shtml
(If the links don’t come through, cut & paste the link into your Internet address bar.)
How to vote: Click on the circle next to the book title, then at the bottom fill in your name & email address. They will send you an email to confirm your vote, simply click on that link, and you’re done. You can only vote once in each category, per email address.
Please pass the voting info along to others who love to vote for things online! Voting ends Jan. 14!
Also NEW in 09:
Romance Junkies gives A Midsummer Night’s Delights a 4.5 Blue Ribbon Rating!
“What a romp! A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DELIGHTS is a delight in itself! I really felt for poor Julian and loved how he “rose” to finding the solution to his predicament. And Annabelle proved to be an apt pupil for her lessons. They are endearing characters with a real problem and a rather thrilling, fun answer. Good writing and lots of action make this a book to recommend! — Kris Jones, Romance Junkies Reviewer”
You can read the whole review here: http://romancejunkiesreviews.com/artman/publish/historical/A_Midsummer_Night_s_Delights.shtml
Naughty Nobles! Kelli’s paperback romance anthology Naughty Nobles will be released in February. This book features three romances never before published in print! Here’s a sneak peek at the cover: http://amberquill.com/pics/NaughtyNobles.jpg
Two New Shorts: “Snowy Sweethearts” will be published in the January issue of New Love Stories magazine. “What was I Thinking?” is scheduled for a February release in True Love.
Q&A WITH KELLI
Q: The genres you write typically are very different, is there something you do to get in the mode for writing one or the other?
A: In my experience, writing in several genres requires a change in mindset. Each genre, whether contemporary fiction, horror, or romance has a different feel to it, so I have to switch gears and write the story using the elements specific to the genre. I always have most (if not all) of a story in my head before I start writing it, so once I sit down to write I just get settled and tell the story as it comes to me.
I like to write in multiple genres because it lets me explore different types of stories and characters. Sometimes after writing a few romances, I’ll take a “break” and write short horror fiction. I think that switching from one genre to another lets me refocus my creativity and keeps the writing fresh.
Q: Do you find writing horror or romance harder?
A. Neither one is harder to write – although sometimes writing any story can be hard! Once I know what I want to write I just go with it and don’t worry about the genre. All stories are unique anyway, so every time I write something, it’s always new and different.
My horror stories are generally shorter pieces (1,000-5,000 words), so there’s a sense that they’re “easier” because a shorter word count generally means less time spent in the revising and editing stages. My romance books are anywhere from 5,000-60,000 words, so they take a considerably longer amount of time and seem “harder” to get done.
FOR WRITERS:
“All I want to do is just sit here, write it all down, and rest for a while.”- Sinead O’Connor
Are you running around like a hamster on a wheel, rushing to finish projects, pushing to get submissions sent, and hurrying to write your next story? Writers need to be energized, focused, and motivated, but if all you do is work, work, work, you may be coming close to (or already suffering from) burnout. What’s the solution? Take a break.
Every so often, all creative people need to rest, recharge their batteries, gather their thoughts, and just be. If you overextend yourself by committing to enter every contest, edit a book in two days, or write a new story each day - you’re on your way to burnout. It’s great to have goals and be motivated, but you - and your muse - need some downtime.
So how can you reset yourself? Go for a walk. Read a book for fun. Dance. Play music. Watch a movie. Do nothing.
How much downtime you need depends on you and your commitments. Sometimes an afternoon “off” will be enough, while some people might decide to take a few days or a week off to recharge. And you don’t have to give up working/writing altogether. Maybe you’ll decide to submit finished stories, but not write anything new. Perhaps you’ll do research for a new project, or instead of writing every day, you’ll only write three days a week.
But whatever you do, don’t force it. The creative process can’t be rushed. Each writer works at his or her own pace. “I can do a lot, but I can’t do everything.” A wise person (we’ll call her Debbie) once reminded me of that simple, yet true, phrase. Does it apply to you?
----------------
I hope you enjoyed this issue of Kelli’s Quill. Please forward it to others who may be interested. You can also sign up in the “News” section of my website: www.KelliWilkins.com
Happy Reading,
Kelli
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