Kit Campbell

Articles posted by Kit Campbell (Page 15)

It’s Hard Not to Be ADD When Everything Around You Is

Unlike Siri, winter doesn’t get me down after awhile, but that’s because here in Colorado, winter is a bizarre and very confused season, which tends to turn into a bizarre and very confused spring. Take yesterday, for example. 75 degrees (~24 degrees for you Celsius people) and sunny. It was brilliant. We went for a long walk in short sleeves and played in the yard. Today? Blizzard. (Although admittedly a fairly warm blizzard. It’s not sticking to the streets but it’s blowing around pretty impressively.)

Twists and Expansions

I was out to lunch with my mother today, and she was telling me about a book she just finished called The Pursuit of Mary Bennet. As the title makes obvious to anyone familiar with the book, this is one of the many books other people have written related to the events of Pride and Prejudice. My mother implied that she liked it but wished the author hadn’t taken quite so many liberties with the source material. (Which, for my mother, is apparently the BBC miniseries version with Colin Firth.) Me> Why, what did she do?Mother> She didn’t have Darcy’s first name right.Me> Really? What was she using for his first name?Mother> Fitzwilliam.Me> ::pause:: His name is Fitzwilliam.

Getting a Boot to the Butt

I’m not really a New Years’s resolution sort of person. Somewhere, sometime, I read an article that said you shouldn’t try to make life changes on certain days–new year’s, Mondays, the first day of a month–because you tend to build up too much anticipation and are more likely to fail. Plus, trying to make more than one change at a time can be overwhelming. That being said, I am embarking on something new. The new year thing is pure coincidence.

Where has 2013 gone?

I swear it was 2005 yesterday. When I finally sat down and took a deep breath after the release of Shards, I realized that it was December. I mean, I knew it was December, but I hadn’t really thought about what that meant. How January is right around the corner, how we’re almost ready to close the books on yet another year. And how I hadn’t done many of the things I thought I was going to this year.

Shards

Eva Martinez isn’t sure why she’s pursuing a master’s degree in religious studies, except that something about the material resonates in the depths of her soul. But when her dreams start to be invaded by lost gardens, forbidden fruit, and a strangely familiar mystery man, even she has to wonder if she’s taking her schoolwork too seriously. Then Eva starts to notice the strangeness seeping into everyday life. The man from her dreams is real and Eva feels a curious connection with him. Her classmate, someone she’s known for years, starts to act increasingly volatile. And it seems like everyone, including her bosses, is keeping secrets…secrets that have something to do with her. Eva’s determined to find out what’s going on, how it involves her, and why she’s transforming into someone buried deep in her memories. The deeper in that Eva gets, the more she feels like she should understand what’s happening around her. The secrets conceal real dangers, and if she can’t untangle them and find the truth in time, she–and all those she’s come to care for–will face defeat at the hands of an ancient enemy, one who recognized Eva long before she learned to recognize herself. For a sneak peek at Shards, go here. Shards is availble on Amazon for Kindle and in paperback. Also available in many formats from Smashwords, and you can even get a signed copy!

The Origins of Shards

The other day, someone asked me about how I came up with the title for Shards (urban fantasy, coming out on Dec 1) and it took me back to the early days of working on the novel, which, to be honest, I haven’t thought about in a long time. Shards started as a dream. Occasionally I have really vivid dreams, and when I realize I’m dreaming, I start to structure the dream into a story. Shards was one of those, though more complete–and more coherent–than most when I woke up. In those days, I kept a notebook by the side of my bed, and I scribbled down everything I could remember–about the characters, the plot, the world. And then I lost the notebook.

Sneak Peek for Shards

To celebrate our upcoming release of Shards, coming out of December 1st, we thought we’d give you a peek at the story! This section is from the middle of chapter 3. The story itself is urban fantasy. If you want more, the very beginning of the book is included in the Best of Turtleduck Press, Volume I collection. A bit of background: Eva has literally run into Michael at college and has felt some sort of odd connection with him. Gabe and Rafe are her bosses, who run an eccentric bookstore just off campus. ~ It had started drizzling and Eva pulled the hood of her sweatshirt up. Hopefully the rain wouldn’t get any heavier before she made it to work. “Which way are you heading?” Michael asked, digging an umbrella out of his bag. His was blue with butterflies on it. Eva stared. “It’s my roommate’s,” he explained with a shrug of his shoulders. “Man loves an oddly colored umbrella, and I couldn’t find mine this morning so I just grabbed one of his.” He put it in his pocket. “No sense using it quite yet, but it helps to have it handy, just in case.” Eva pointed in the general direction of the bookstore. “I’m going that way too.” Michael offered Eva his arm and she took it, curling her fingers around his warmth. It was oddly comforting.

Pinterest: Late to the Game

Oh, dear friends, I know Pinterest has been around forever in Internet terms, I just thought I didn’t have a use for it. For those of you who, like me, occasionally live under social media rocks, Pinterest is basically a social media site for pictures. You can upload your own pictures, re-pin other people’s, comment, and like various images. You can follow users or boards. So why have I finally decided to take the plunge?

The Change of the Seasons

Ah, autumn. It’s lurking just around the corner, and I can’t wait. I’m done with summer’s heat. I’m an autumn girl all the way around. Maybe it’s because I was born in autumn, but I love how it’s not too cold and not too hot. I love how the trees change. I love curling up with a mug of cocoa and a good book under a blanket. Doesn’t it always seem like it just arrives overnight? One day it’s 95 degrees, and then, the next, it’s 70 and all the trees have gone up in brilliant golds and reds.

The Dangers of Tie-Ins

Good morning, you lovely people. I hope you’re all having a wonderful Tuesday and are well supplied with tea and chocolate. Last month I talked about Whodunnit, a murder mystery reality TV show. (I’m still watching. We’re down to the last four people, and it’s totally the four I picked out as potential murderer candidates. Go me!) Anyway, I was on the internet somewhere and someone mentioned that they’d put out a companion mystery novel in ebook form. I figured I’d give it a shot.

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