Another One Bites The Dust

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Kodilynn Calhoun

So, after burning out of my YA paranormal, Hunger, and taking a long break, I decided I needed to switch it up. Maybe I was just burned out of YA. I decided: Do something adult for once. Well, characters formed in my head and I came up with a plot, and it slowly became my Camp Nano novel, Bonedust.

It was absolutely freeing to write something with no holds barred, where my characters could be as down and dirty as they needed to be, and the violence could be wonderfully bloody I just -needed- it. And loved Bonedust for several thousand words. My characters were witty, it was romantic and sexy, and I enjoyed it.

But of course, around 40k, with just a few scenes left on my outline till THE END, my mind started coming up with new ideas. Fluffy YA ideas. I wanted so badly to shelf BD and work on a Shiny New Idea. My bff and crit partner, Sadie Hart, told me I wasn’t allowed LOL. So after a few days of procrastinating, I decided to just…sit down and do it. Get it over with, for better or worse. Ever have that feeling?

So last night, despite the hundreds of breaks I took, I finished Bonedust. It was hard…but yanno? Also rewarding: I finished another book this year. Score! -cue applause- And I can’t wait to put it on my Kindle and re-read it. Once I’ve taken a break from it. I may attempt to publish it…someday. I’m not 100% sure yet. I don’t have to make that decision today. Or even tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I’m considering finishing up my 2010 (yet unfinished but sitting at 50k) YA Nano novel and making that 3 books finished this year. We’ll see!

Officially Under Construction

Posted on August 29, 2011 by Kodilynn Calhoun

As you might be able to tell from the generic-looking preset header…I’m finally getting my blog under construction (cue applause…no? crickets work too!) I’ve figured out exactly how I want my banner to look, I’ve picked out the stock images I’ll be buying, and it’s just a matter of putting all the images together in one final image that I cannot -wait- to finish It’s so…me and I’m so excited to reveal it

Meahwhile, I’m working on getting two of my YA shorts edited, polished and ready to submit to Smashwords. They will be freebies, to give you a little taste of my writing style. You will be able to find them shortly under the Free Fiction section of My Projects. Descriptions will be up soon, but they’re both romantic and about Faeries. (I’ll admit, I went through an uber-Faerie phase! Who hasn’t?)

And on the Camp NaNoWriMo front…yeah, I’m not gonna finish before the 31st! LOL. BUT I did get a short story as well as most of an adult romance novella (I’ve got about 5 scenes to go before THE END!). I’m gonna work like crazy to see if I can reach the end of Bonedust by August 31st…but as for reaching 50k? I doubt it’ll happen. STILL. I’m proud of myself.

At the same time, I’m working on Wolfsong’s query and synopsis, as well as the plots for a possible sequel (although it can easily stand alone), and I hope to start sending it out to agents by January 2012. I’ve been busy, but it’s a good feeling to start accomplishing stuff again.

I need to jump back into my shifter/kelpie WIP, Hunger, and finish it before November, because I do plan on competing in NaNoWriMo again! Probably another full-rewrite, rather than a Shiny New Idea (though I’ve got a crapload of those!) Which would be epic if I won, because that would mean I’d finished…4 books this year? Go me!

But we’ll see. No one knows what the future holds! Anyone else planning on doing NaNo this year? Do you already have your stories chosen, your charrie bios filled out and your plots fiddled with? Or do you wait until November 1st and just jump in?

I Love Cats…

Posted on August 13, 2011 by Kodilynn Calhoun

Let’s face it. I’m probably going to be the Crazy Cat Lady when I’m old and cranky (crankier? xD) I love cats. I just love cats.

Once upon a time, I had a Siamese kitten named Missy. Missy came into my life when I was 3. I would pull her tail/ears/make her meow and Mom would send me to my room for “being mean to Missy”. What did Missy do? Sit outside my room and cry because she wanted me back. LOL.

Missy also liked to lay on whatever I was reading. Coloring books? She’d flop down. ATTENSHUNNN. I’d get mad and push her away and she’d come back. Silly cat.

And then, when I was eight or nine, I saved up my money and bought my first Betta. I named him Toby and he was blue and shiny. He was safe on my desk. I went to go play and when I came into my room for bed…Toby was gone. The tank was empty. There was no trace of Toby. …Missy had eaten him.

I shunned her. I hated her. I hated cats until we moved.We ended up volunteering at the local animal shelter and I fell for this beautiful 5 month old kitten. She reached out and grabbed me and stole my heart. Mom said no. I begged. Mom said no. Maybe I could have a cat when Missy (then 14) died.

Missy wormed her way back into my heart just in time for her to get sick. She was 14 when we put her down and it felt like my heart was broken. (I remember listening to the song “Dare You To Move” over and over in my grief.) The next day, we went to the shelter. That kitten, even months later, was still there. I took her home and she became my baby and the reason I love cats so much. She healed me.

Pandora is my baby. She ended up getting pyometra (a uterine infection) last month… I thought I was going to lose her. I’ve never cried so hard… I ended up begging my grandma to loan us the money, but it was thanks to Care Credit that we were able to save her. She was sooo happy to come home from the vet–she purred and loved and rubbed and…I love her. If it had been any other cat…I wouldn’t have opted surgery; Mom knows this. She knows how much Pan means to me. She had a cat like that…

I love cats >3 Maybe not as much as this person. (LOL) But I love them. And I will probably be the Crazy Cat Lady someday.

Changes Left and Right

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Kodilynn Calhoun

First off: My blog will be going through a couple of changes–I need to make a banner, one that fits me. One that will hopefully keep me blogging for years to come. I’m wanting something that resonates with me. So expect a little ‘construction’ if you will, as I work on a banner and fiddle around with the layout colors and all that jazz Yes, it will probably involve a certain doxie boy. That just means I have to get off my bum and DRAW HIM >3 So yes, check back periodically (or hey! Every day! ) to see the New-and-Improved Kodi-blog!

So I’ve been running around like a chicken with its head cut off (and believe me, I was chased just last year by a headless chicken, and it’s terrifying!) trying to figure out what I’m doing. Yeah, I write. I’ve been writing since I was old enough to scribble lines on paper and staple a ‘book’ (and I ended up stapling my finger and, to hide the evidence, said the cat bit me as my finger bled. I was told not to mistreat the cat and she wouldn’t bite me). I’ve had a lifelong dream of being published, of having people (unrelated people!) read my books and go “Man, when does the next one come out?” It’s just something I’ve been wanting…for forever. I love books.

My family told me I was good (but they’re family. They’re gonna say that!) but I didn’t believe them. My writer’s group started asking when I was going to start putting stuff out. So last year, I got a couple of short fantasy stories published in two anthologies and have a third accepted and on hold. It gave me hope that yes, I truly WAS good enough. But I didn’t have direction. I wasn’t sure where to go next; I just lived by the chant “Just Keep Writing!” with the dream of someday being great enough to have beautiful YA fantasy books on the shelves at Borders, maybe even someday hitting the NYT. Big dreams, but if we don’t have dreams, what do we have?

This past year, I reworked and rewrote a novel that I feel is, quite possibly, The One for me. And now it comes down to Decision Time. Do I go the Traditional route? Do I aim for querying agents, aim to have my books in bookstores even though bookstores are slowly becoming a dying breed? Or do I embrace the New Age of e-books and Indie publishing? (and I’ll admit, I adore e-books. I love my Kindle and you can’t beat buying a well-written, epic book under 5 bucks with a click of your mouse!) I’ll have to deal with anxiety and stress either way. Each one has their pros and cons.

But no matter how much I read and research, I’ll decide “Yes, I’m going Trad!” one day, and then be iffy the next. This isn’t just me wanting a book out to see my name in print; I’m not a one-trick pony. I have books in me, hundreds of books needing life breathed into them. I want to make this my life. I want to, someday, not have to worry about finding a job that I can work despite my disabilities.

I’m the kind of person to walk around a pond 30 times on a hot summer day, circling it but not daring to dip a foot in, afraid that I’ll drown. But I know that if I just…jump, fling myself into the water headfirst without a second thought, I could find out I’m a really great swimmer! (Or, hey, if you wanna be negative, I could drown! LOL Always a possibility!)

I think, for me, I’m gonna have to pick one and go for it. No thinking, just doing. But until I decide? I’m gonna have to “Just Keep Writing!”

What about you? If you’re a writer aiming for publication, which path have you decided to head down? What are your opinions/ideas on the subject, or the reasons for your decision? Readers: do you have a preference between indie or traditionally published books, or are they all ‘just books’ to you? I’d love to hear feedback

Long Day Was Long

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Kodilynn Calhoun

First thing’s first: 19k for Camp Nano Whoot, ahead of the game by a couple of thousand words, which is making me feel pretty darn good. My goal is to finish my novella-novel (unsure which it is at the moment) by August 31st, rather than 50,000 words. (Okay, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to get 50k! I just don’t foresee my story being that long! Still, I’ve got another novella I need done by Jan, so I may start that )

This past week we’ve had my stepsisters for their last days of summer vacation before school starts (I believe they’re going into 10th grade, 5th grade and Kindergarten, respectively). I’ll admit–I’m not a big little-kid fan. They drive me insane and I stress out when the 3 bedroom house is full of 7-10 people (this includes blood family, step family and whatever friends my sibs have over). I typically hide out in my bedroom until they leave, but a week’s a little long to only come out to use the bathroom and eat LOL. So I endured. They were good and I actually -gasp- enjoyed their company…until today, at least, when I woke up too early and before breakfast the 5-year-old was nagging me: “I wanna play Barbie.com!”. Uh, no. Eat your cereal and shaddup! XD (Okay, I’m not THAT mean…kinda)

Then of course we had my new puppy, Remy’s neuter scheduled for today. Mom got up at 6 am, took him to our low-cost spay/neuter clinic some 30 minutes away, and came back. We estimated picking him up between 5-6 pm, giving us time for a nap. Upon learning that the girls’ mom couldn’t come until 6, and we’d be in town then with no one home to watch them, we (read: I) had a little spazz attack. So we changed plans, got permission to drop the girls off at their grandma’s place…and then the clinic called and said we had to pick Remy up between 2-3pm. Cue panic x 2. Add into the mix the fact that long-distance car rides make me anxious (and long-distance car rides + 2 talkative kids under 10 make me even MORE anxious? Yes I’m a naturally nervous person–I’m on meds for a reason xD)

Long, long day.

But in the end? I got some amaaaazing Japanese teriaki chicken on fried rice? To. Die. For. Plus the fact that we swung past my friend’s place and visited for a little bit. The day turned out pretty good

Remy’s home and no worse for the wear; the anesthetic’s already worn off and now we’ve been instructed to keep him “quiet” for 7-10 days. Even though Remy is part doxie, and my other doxies are…well…lazy? Remy is young and spirited and races laps around the front yard on a Flexi-leash every night. And we’re supposed to keep him quiet? LOL. Ohboy. He’s not even been home three hours and he’s wanting to go-go-go. Having a couple of parts removed has not phased him. He looks at me with those big, melty-chocolate eyes and practically says “Moooommmm whyyyyy?” xD So cute. Can’t help but love him <3

See what I mean about melty-chocolate eyes?

Hello again!

Posted on August 1, 2011 by Kodilynn Calhoun

Summer of 2011 has been kicking my butt.

First thing, I burnt out after 30k of Hunger, my YA SocNoc novel and I just couldn’t force it any longer. I went into a depression-like-state that made me unhappy, unwanting to do anything but sleep. I pondered hibernation, but I decided it wouldn’t work since I’m not a bear (and my bladder hates me. SO!).

Then, just as I got a little spark of Muse and went back to Hunger, my cat started acting odd. Sick. Not like herself. Of course, Pandora being my favorite cat, I was panicked and in tears. She wasn’t eating, drinking, going to the litterbox. She just…laid there. Lethargic. I assumed it was a hairball–she’d done this before, months ago. I gave her hairball medicine…and she didn’t fight me (and believe me when I say this cat fiiiiights). That’s when I noticed a smear of something gross on the bed. Many angsts and a bucket of tears later, we got her into the only vet that was not booked…and it turned out she had pyometra, which is an infection in the uterus. Rare in cats, but she’d never really gone into season so we didn’t spay her. Had we not found it as soon as we did, she’d be gone. Needless to say, thank God for Care Credit. They were the only way we were able to afford her emergency surgery. She’s back. She was so so so happy to be home. She’s now recovered and her shaved belly hair is growing back. Turns out, she had a large cyst on her left ovary that kept her from going into heat. So basically my cat had Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome…just like me. LOL. I love her so so much. I’m so happy to have her healthy again.

So, I was ready to write once more… Then my parents went camping and brought home a puppy and I fell in love. He’s an all black, wire haired dachshund-chihuahua (chi-weenie! XD). 5 months old–his owner’s daughter was really sick and between allergies and her hospital bills, they couldn’t afford him…and Mom couldn’t leave him behind. I laid eyes on him and melted. Just. Melted. I scooped him into my arms…and he became Remy. Remy is the name I’ve had picked out for my next dog for over a year. I’d planned on a little longhair doxie, maybe spring/summer of 2012. Female. Preferrably chocolate or dappled. Not a chiweenie, and not a boy. I’ve always been against having boy dogs… But…he’s here and I adore him. He’s a bouncy, stubborn, fun-loving, bright-eyed little guy. We’ve had him for two weeks now and he’s fitting in wonderfully. We’ll be having him neutered as soon as we can get him in.

And I came up with a Shiny New Idea, plotted it out a little, and started writing on it. Then one of our inside cats got outside and stuck up 60+ feet on the highest branch in an unclimbable tree…and proceeded to stay there and mew like a baby for 30 hours (he got chased up by the dogs). We tried getting on the two-story roof, tried calling him down with canned food, tried spraying him with a hose. My Mom looked stuff up on the internet and found that cats can supposedly only survive a few days without food and water before they go ‘toxic’ and she pretty much went emo, overly stressed and tired and was bawling, saying he was as good as dead. Talk about drama… So everyone in the house was stressed, I was torn between bawling my eyes out and begging the darn cat to come down. I just kept praying and crying that he’d be okay.I couldn’t give up…

At 2 am Sunday morning, little Toki–terrified and hungry–came down the tree far enough for my step dad to climb the tree (and nearly fall out) and grab him. Toki is now safe inside once again and the experience has matured him from a trash-thieving little kitten-cat to a calmer, quieter adult.

And I just keep hoping the drama is over for awhile LOL.

I’ve currently got 5 scenes outlined on Bonedust and still working on it. I’ve also decided to jump in and do Camp Nanowrimo! I figure, if anything else, it gets me writing daily again, even if 1667 words a day is a little daunting haha. Still, gonna jump in and try and swim for it!

Kodilynn Calhoun

Author of YA/New Adult Paranormals

Monthly Archives: August 2011