The busy life of a writer mama.

Happy Friday! How has your day gone so far? I'm busy in my office working on my NaNo project. It's coming along great!

A quick reminder of some of the things going on around here. I've been nominated for an award in the GoodReads Choice Awards for Debut GoodReads Author! The link is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2014

I've also been nominated in the Authors After Dark Bookie Awards for Best Couple AND Best Author! Here's the link:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BOOKIES2015
Don't forget to get your votes in!!

For those of you who haven't read my book, The Grey Curse, yet, there are plenty of places you can buy it.

http://www.breathlesspress.com/index.php?main_page=product_free_shipping_info&cPath=13&products_id=619

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-grey-curse-krista-kelley/1120326095?ean=2940046151657

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thegreycurse-1621399-340.html

http://www.bookstrand.com/the-grey-curse

For those who HAVE read my book, could you please write a review? Reviews really help, I promise. :) You can leave one on Amazon, Breathless Press, Barnes and Noble, or GoodReads!

Do you live in or around the Trimble County, Kentucky area and are participating in NaNoWriMo this year? Well, the Trimble County Public Library is hosting a local write-in every Monday during November! I'll be in attendance to help with any questions or concerns.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. To those participating in NaNoWriMo this year, good luck and don't give up! It will be worth it in the end.

Getting Ready for November

November is almost upon us and the thought brings me excitement. Not just because of Thanksgiving, but because November is when NaNoWriMo happens. What is NaNoWriMo? Well, I'm glad you asked! NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. During November, writers spend thirty days working toward the goal of writing 50,000 words. FIFTY THOUSAND. That's quite a lot to write in just 30 days. It's a ton of fun, especially when you have friends to help and compete with.

Last year was my first time participating and I loved it. While it was more than a little stressful trying to write around family gatherings and a little one, it was totally worth it. I cranked out 50K words and won. I wrote The Grey Curse, my debut novel, during that November. Some days I felt like I was on top of the world, my pen racing across my notebook as I poured my heart and soul out. Then, there were other days that I didn't think I could make it any farther. There were days that I couldn't get a single word from brain to paper. But I didn't give up. I kept going and I made it to the finish line with a "nearly" complete book in my hands.

I plan on participating again this year. Once again, my story will be Paranormal Romance, but this time, it will be about a Greek Goddess and a journalist who fall in love, despite the many obstacles in the way of their happiness. I hope that this book will be longer than The Grey Curse.

So, during this month, I will be getting ready for my "quest". 50,000 words in 30 days. That's quite a lot of work, in my opinion. I will be working on outlines, characters, etc. I hope to see some of you there. If anyone participating would like to add me as a buddy, my username is Krista Kelley. Easy enough to remember. Lol.

Wishing all my fellow WriMos luck and happy writing!

~Krista

A Little Thank You One Month Later

It's hard to believe that just a little over a month ago, my very first book was published. I am officially a published author and it feels...wonderful. I will admit, it has been a little stressful, trying to promote my book and get it out there for people to see, but it's wonderful none the less.

I never in a million years thought that I would be where I am. My dream has finally come true and I feel so blessed. There are so many people who have been an integral part of my journey and I just want to take a moment to thank every one of them.

Mom: Twenty-some years ago (tomorrow), you brought me into this world and have made me into the woman I am today. Kind, generous, loyal, and maybe a little crazy. You encouraged me throughout all of my endeavors, whether it be school, T-ball, Football, clubs, etc. You never once gave up on me and I am so grateful for that. I will always be Your Girl and I hope that I have made you proud. If it wasn't for you, obviously I wouldn't be here. Thank you, Mama.

Jerry: Thank you for everything, baby. You have been my number one cheerleader (Lol) and have been there for me every step of the way. When I felt ready to give up, you picked me up, dusted me off, and told me to keep going. You have been such a huge help, from helping with our daughter, giving me the time and space I needed to work, helping me with the book itself, and everything in between. That extra chair in my office has always been and will always be yours. Watching you sit there, trying to come up with some idea to help me...it made all the hard times working on this book so much easier. Knowing that you have my back, it lightens the load. I love you so much, honey.


Baby Boo: My beautiful, spoiled, sometimes cranky baby girl. Mommy did this for you, boo bear. I wanted to be the role model you need to show you that dreams do come true. Never give up on your dreams, no matter how difficult they seem. Mommy will always be here to remind you of that. Thank you for being a good girl for Daddy while Mommy had to work. Thank you for reminding me every day why I couldn't give up. I love you, baby.


Teri: My Boo. My Yoda. It was you that gave me that push to start writing again. I saw you following your dreams and you made me see that I could too. You have been there all along the way, ready to give me a kick in the butt if I needed it and to celebrate when I accomplished even the smallest challenge. You are my inspiration, my coach, and one of my biggest friends. Without your experience and guidance, I wouldn't have made it here. You're my best friend and a sister to me. Thank you for everything, Boo. I love you so much. <3


Karen: You were the first to ever see The Grey Curse. Before it was even finished. You gave me the hope I needed when you read it last November and put it on the Fast Track. Even though you were unable to see everything over yourself, you were still a large part in getting my book accepted and published. Thank you.


Jayne: Thank you for putting up with my craziness, my ignorance in the field of editing, and all of my questions. You made the journey of getting my book published fun. Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, to sit down and go over things with me and for being my editor. I couldn't have done it without all of your help.


Victoria: Lady, you are pure genius when it comes to cover art. I absolutely love Selena and Decan's cover. Thank you! It is just perfect. You surpassed all of my expectations and brought my babies to life for everyone to see. I still sometimes sit and look at it, amazed. Thank you so very much!!


Breathless Press: Thank you for giving me a chance. For believing in this little writer mama. I can't think of a better publishing FAMILY to be a part of. Thank you!

And to all of my other friends and family who have been there for me and put up with my quirkiness. Thank you. Your support means the world to me. To my readers, you all are amazing. Thank you for taking the time to read and review my book. It means everything to me that people actually read and enjoy my book.

THANK YOU ALL!!

~Krista

A Bittersweet Celebration

For those of you who have been living under a rock these past few months *chuckles*, this Friday, my very first book is coming out. It is something I've been dreaming of for a very long time. While I am so excited and, I'll admit, a little nervous, I also can't help but be a little sad.

You see, last Friday I lost someone who was very dear to me. My grandfather. We weren't related by blood or even by marriage, but from the moment I met him nearly twenty years ago, that's what he was to me. Through the years, he taught me so much. That it was okay to eat ice cream before dinner, the correct way to eat milk and cookies, how the act of giving can be way more rewarding then the actual getting. He was a loving, generous, amazing man who loved spoiling his family, especially during Christmas. He loved spending time with his three grandchildren and his great-granddaughter, who he called his Tater, and it wasn't unusual for him to send one of us home with a huge bag of some kind of treats. He loved and was loved so profoundly.

So when Friday comes, of course I'm going to be ecstatic about my "baby" finally being published. But deep down, I will be sad that my wonderful grandfather won't be here to celebrate with me. I won't be able to hear him say how proud he is of me or even how his little Tater is. But I do know that he is watching over us, smiling and so proud of us.

So this is for you, Popaw Jimmy. Always on my mind and in my heart. <3

Updates!

*sweeps away the dust and cobwebs.* Wow, it's been a while! And that is completely my fault. With edits and getting The Grey Curse ready for release, I have been extremely busy lately. But now that edits are done-Yay!-I am focusing on the promoting stage. Trying to get things lined up with other bloggers, my public library and other stuff. That's right, I'm working on setting up my very first event with the library! So excited!

Anyways, I wanted to give you, my lovely readers, some updates on what's going on with The Grey Curse. Like I said before, all the edits are finally finished. I have received my cover from the fantastic Victoria Miller and it is amazing! I absolutely LOVE it! What do you all think?

Also, I got a release date!! The Grey Curse will be out on August 29th. That's only about two months away. So I'm going to be extra busy getting everything ready. So, I thought I'd do a little promoting here, if that's okay! 

The Grey Curse by Krista Kelley

Blurb:

For nearly two centuries, every female descendant of the witch Rebecca Grey has died mysteriously at the age of twenty-one. The last of her line, Selena Grey has done everything to live a normal life. That is until she learns of the curse placed on her family. Selena's 21st birthday is coming soon and she has to find a way to break the curse and live.

Decan Colt wants more than anything to be normal again. For 160 years, he has walked the earth a blood-thirsty monster. A vampire. He was traded and trained at a young age to be his mother's revenge on Rebecca Grey and her family. But when he sees his latest target, he falters. Something about Selena Grey reminds him of the humanity he thought he had lost so long ago.

When Decan refuses to kill Selena, his maker decides to take matters into his own hands. Together, they must break the curse or face the wrath of an older vampire bent on vengeance. Will they be the latest victims of the Grey Curse?

Excerpt:

"This one's the last of her line. There are no others, Deke." He held up a file and tossed it to Decan.

Catching it, he thumbed through the small stack of papers and moved back to his recliner. "Selena Michelle Grey, born October 31st, 1991. Hair, blonde. Eyes, blue. Only child to Thomas and Melissa Grey." Decan closed the folder and leaned back in his chair. The last Grey. It meant his life's purpose had almost been completed. What would he do when the time came when there were no more "missions"? There had been a time when it had seemed impossible. He had spent his exceedingly long life fulfilling his mother's wishes. Running a hand through his hair, he gave it a tug before peering back up at his maker.

"After this one, I'll be free?"

Nikolai's lips turned up in a small smile. "You'll be free. You know the drill. You have until her twenty-first birthday to do recon. Study her habits—where she goes, who she sees. October thirty-first, you strike."

Before Decan could blink, the elder man disappeared. He glanced back down at the file in his hands and smirked. The last Grey. How would he deal with this one? A fire? Or maybe a drowning? It happened a lot with the Ohio River being so close. Whatever he did, he had to make sure it looked like an accident. They didn't need people looking for a murderer. It was one of their rules. Always make it appear accidental. Decan couldn't afford to be caught. After 100 years, he had gotten good at his job. First, with Violet Grey. Then Mary Sue and April Grey, Nancy Grey Callis and last had been Elizabeth Grey. Five women he'd killed, all in his mother's name. But they had deserved it, they all did. And now this one would die and fulfill his mother's curse.

Author Bio:

Proud, sassy and immensely stubborn, Krista Kelley is a stay-at-home wife and mom who will fearlessly boogie to any song just to see her daughter smile. When not wrangling an energetic child, she can be found in her home office, pouring her heart into her writing while guzzling the sweet nectar known as Starbucks. She loves a good romance novel and would much rather spend her nights curled up on the couch with a book and her cat Thor than out on the town.

Random Blog Thingie

The great Torie James tagged me in this random little blog thingie. Answer four questions about your writing process/your current WIP and then tag four more writers to keep it going. Well, here I go! Tagging Aaron Speca, Zelda Quinn, M. Anna Black, and K.B Ashford. <3

1. What are you working on?
-I'm not really working on anything at the moment. I'm currently waiting on edits from my editor on The Grey Curse, my first book.

2. How does your work differ from others in the genre?

-Well, I'd like to think my vampires are a different "brand". They're not your typical sun-allergy, only-blood-drinking monsters you see in most books. And no, they don't sparkle.

3. Why do you write what you write?

-Because it's what I like to read. Write what you know, right? Or at least what YOU would like to read. Cause if you don't like it, how will other readers?

4. How does your writing process work?
-I don't really have a process. I pretty much just write what comes to mind, when it comes to mind. I'm pretty much a slave to the characters in my mind. And I don't mind it in the least!

((Oh, and a quick shouty-outy to the Once and Future Queen, Torie James for tagging me. https://www.facebook.com/WriterGurl216 and http://torienjames.blogspot.com/))

Authors and Bullying

Okay, time for a little rant. I apologize in advanced, but I feel that I need to get this off my chest. This absolutely breaks my heart. I don't know Ms. Daltry and I haven't read any of her books (my TBR list is a mile long right now), but I find this heartbreaking none the less. Authors are one big family. Or, at least, I feel that we should be. We're all the same, trying to make it in the writing world. And we should help and encourage each other, not tear other authors apart. The bullying needs to STOP! Some writers rely on their books selling to make a living. To put food on the table and in the mouths of their family. To keep the lights on and their homes warm/cool. But when so many people tear us down, it's debilitating. It not only affects the sales of our books, but we also begin to doubt ourselves. "Can I really do this? Is it worth all of the bad? Am I good enough?" And too many authors decide No.

 What is wrong with people that they have to tear down people like this? Is this how they get their kicks? Making a person doubt themselves and their talents until they're on the brink of losing it? Until they can't take any more and finally just give up and take everything down?

Well, I can tell you one thing. NO amount of bullying is going to stop me. I'm not doing this to sell millions of my books. I'm not doing this for myself, even. I'm doing this for my daughter. I'm doing this to be a good role model for her, to show her that she can follow her dreams. And the bullying? It'll be just another lesson in how people will try to tear you down, but don't let them. Hold your head high and focus on the good. Because there are good people out there. It may be hard to find them some days, but they're there.

I hope things get better for Ms. Daltry, I really do. I have yet to publish my first book, so the flying monkeys of evil have yet to descend on me. I hope that one day, she will be able to come back to the writing world.

To all authors. Here's my challenge for you. Encourage, support and help another author. Whether they be someone new or someone who's sold thousands of books. Treat them like family. Because that's what we are, really. One big family. If someone is feeling down, lift them up! This is how we can help stop bullying. By being better people and friends. By helping instead of hindering.

I really hope that my words help someone. Anyone.

[The link below is the blog post of Ms. Sara Daltry, stating that she is giving up writing (at least professionally) and is taking down all of her books and social media.]
http://sarahdaltry.com/2014/04/05/closing-time/