Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were wonderful and that your 2019 is off to a good start.
It’s hard for me to write without starting with this-- my Grandma died on the morning of the 19th. My grandma, Kathleen, was a third caretaker for me as a child. I lived with her during highschool. She taught me how to sew, how to crossstitch, and how to drive. Her extensive book collection and daily reading habit influenced my own love of books and I’m sure are part of what led me toward being a writer. I’ve been feeling like I can’t do much writing until I write about her, but I’m not really ready to do so extensively. So I’ve put it on the backburner-- I’m letting it simmer til the right words are ready to come out, and I’m working on other things.
One of the three protagonists in Rock of Ages is inspired by my Grandma, and I’m sure when I start working on that storyline again, it will be tough. I’m working on Cassidy, the modern 20-something, right now, and I just got to the part where she’s visiting her grandma in a care home. It’s intense, but I hope my experience visiting my grandma in the days before she died, and my love for her, will show. I read the most recent version of the prologue out loud to her and it was some of the most aware and awake she was during our visit. I’m so glad she got to hear it, and so sad she won’t get to read the whole thing.
On a happier note, I’ve created a year-long reading challenge for writers. Take a look and let me know if you plan to try it!
And on a much happier note, though Rock of Ages is still deep in the editing process, as of today I am officially a published author! It’s publication day for the Writing Bloc Anthology, ESCAPE! We started out as a little support group and soon decided we would be much more than that. We put out a call for submissions, engaged in an extensive peer editing process, and utilized our varied talents to take on design, marketing, and distribution! We made a real book with 20 great stories in it!
My story, "Aspirant," is about an aspiring nun at a Zen monastery (based on Deer Park in Escondido). She’s there trying to escape a past of sexual trauma but at a young adult retreat develops a crush on an attendee. She has to decide whether to remain at the monastery or pursue her promising new love interest.
The whole anthology is only $2.99 today but will go up to $5.99 tomorrow! Please consider ordering it and supporting independent authors and publishing! I’m so excited to hear what you think about my story!
I’m wishing you all a very happy New Year. I hope it is everything you want it to be.
Seasons Greetings Everyone!!
I know it’s been a while since I’ve sent an update through this medium but a very important date is coming up and I wanted to touch base with all my Inkshares followers. In a little more than a month, Beyond the Code will be one year old. It’s been a crazy, eventful year and I’ve learnt so much about the industry and about myself. I look forward to the next year and the next step on my journey.
CONTEST TIME!
In celebration of Beyond the Code’s upcoming anniversary, I’m going to kick off a little contest. Between now and Jan 31/18, anyone who gives Beyond the Code a review on Amazon or Goodreads will be entered to help design and name a character in Beyond the Code’s sequel, Beyond the Masquerade.
So let me know what you think of Beyond the Code and get a chance to help me being a new character to life.
So to all my fantastic followers, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Kelsey Rae Barthel
Greetings, Faoii!
The NAME A CHARACTER contest is almost done! Haven’t entered yet? Don’t worry! You have until JANUARY 1st to either 1) pre-order your copy of FAOII BETRAYER or 2) head over to Facebook or Twitter and share any of the Faoii Betrayer posts. Or both! You get 5 entries every time you retweet or share, and 10 entries for every book you pre-order.
This book only becomes real if all of us work together. The e-books are only $10. That is not so much for a dream.
Keep those shields up.
Faoii-Tahani
