Just a quickie this month. I figure this conversation between me and JM Paquette, another 4 Horsemen Publications writer, would entertain you as well as tell you a little something about me.
I had a very busy July, with two conferences and a book signing. Every event was a stellar one, and I thoroughly enjoyed them all. First was the RSJ Virtual Conference, followed by the RWA National Conference, held in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and a week later, a Saturday signing at RomantiConn in Trumbull, Connecticut. Here are a few shots from each.
In other news, I am working with seven other writers on a charity anthology (working title “Love Wins”) in honor of our fellow writer Twyla Turner, who passed away on July 1 after a courageous 18-month battle with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. It is humbling and fulfilling to be a part of this work, and I look forward to sharing more with loyu as we continue. The plan is to publish it on Valentine’s Day in 2026.
As you know, The Pilot’s Wife is up and running, and you’re missing out if you haven’t got your copy yet. Click on the title to get your copy today. The next book in the series will be The Doctor’s Wife, about an ER doctor, his ex, and the child he never knew he had.
Honeys, how does it feel to be almost at the end of June? The second half of the year is just around the corner, and after an eventful first half, in which I published two books and have added four new ones to my Works In Progress list, I’m set to be even busier than ever.
July will see me involved in three—yes, I said THREE— writerly events. First, the online RSJ Convention, which has become my go-to professional/personal fun zone in the middle of the year, runs from the 10th to the 12th. Next in line, I’ll be in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, for the RWA National Conference. I’m so excited to be returning to one of my favorite places in Canada. And then, five days after I return home, I’ll be participating in a book signing in Trumbull, CT, at RomantiConn on July 26th.
Whew! Just typing that was exhausting! LOL!
In the meantime,. I’m reconsidering a decision I made regarding how my books get published, which is adversely impacting my reach and my sales. So it’s time to change course. Wish me luck as I figure out how to do what’s best for me without burning any bridges.
And finally, in tribute to the title of this month’s blog, here’s some freewriting that I did about words. It’s kinda silly, but it was fun to spend ten minutes doing it.
I am a logophile. Words are life. I love everything about them, which probably explains why I’m now doing this authoring thing after teaching English for 36 years. To show you how much words fill me up, here’s a bit of brainfarting (funkier than ‘freewriting’, better than ‘piddlefarting’, and funnier than ‘brainstorming’) that I did back in March. Enjoy!
Maybe I should just write words that come to mind. Words like ‘poetry’ and ‘dissonance’. The latter is a pretty cool negative word, if it’s even negative at all. Another word, also with negative connotations, is ‘presumption’. Then there’s ‘noise’. There sure is a lot of that in my house, between a couple of grandchildren and my confused inner monologue. There’s ‘pernicious’ and ‘manuscripting’, literally meaning ‘writing by hand’. And all those negative words (because I seem to be stuck there) beginning with ‘il’, ‘im’, ‘in’, ir, ‘un’, ‘dis’. How magical would our world be if a word like ‘impossible’ meant ‘guaranteed to occur’.
Yes, ten minutes of freewriting, and I waxed philosophical. Maybe I should have finished that Ph. D instead of writing love stories—first for clients, then for myself—which stole me away from academia. Welcome to my meandering mind! 🙂
I’m off to finish a story, now. See y’all again soon!
In honor of Valentine’s Day (yes, I know it’s a week past!) I’m offering you the chance to win a free copy of my latest novel, The Wonder of You. To enter my Goodreads giveaway, just click on the link below, and good luck! And as always, I’d be really thrilled if you’d leave me an honest review. Thank you in advance!
Can you believe it’s already past the middle of January? There’s no holding back time, is there? I wish you all the blessings that you need most and the joy and peace that you desire most in 2025!
2024—like every other year—had its memorable moments, both good and bad. My firstborn, who’d been away for over a decade, returned with his family. I met my grandchildren in the flesh for the first time. To say the least, it’s been a challenging change of pace for two retired people. Then, my youngest moved away to another state to be an ED nurse, and finally, our beloved dog Chaz unexpectedly went somewhere over the rainbow bridge. He was 12 and 1/2. Here are some memories of my Old Man. I miss him dearly.
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to ban TikTok, unless the Chinese owners sell it, I’m having a difficult time deciding where to focus my attention when it is no longer a viable option for keeping and building my audience and getting more attention on my work. I’m already on Instagram and Facebook, and I’ve decided to spend more time blogging, the way I used to do in the mid-2000s.
In the meantime, if you haven’t found me there as yet, and would like to see what I’ve been up to, here’s the link: https://www.tiktok.com/@authorkt I’ll be there for as long as I can, though I will be reposting to Instagram and Facebook.
I’m also working on getting back into the swing of things with my writing. I have a novel coming out by the end of the month, one that’s up for pre-order (see the HOME page), and one in planning for a late November publication. And there’s the rest of the WIP for my other pen name and the last book in the series to complete this year. And to top it all, I have to plan and begin (if not complete) work on Mascarpone and Mayhem, the romcom mafia romance that’s due out next year in April.
I’ll leave you with this very important and timely message:
Welcome to the 7th month of the year! Can you believe we’re in the second half of the journey to 2025? Where does the time go?
I’ve had the pleasure of participating in a second great author and reader event, this time online. The RSJ Convention ran from July 11 – 13, and every day was jam-packed with learning, networking, and fun. Here are a few images from those three days, including sightings of popular romance authors such as Siera London, Stephanie Morris, and Mel Walker and audiobook narrators such as BZ Cullins (of the delectably deep voice) and Tonya Todd.
From controversial subjects such as the function and use of AI in publishing, to pressing matters like how to design and execute a strategic marketing plan, authors were provided with many of the tools needed to manage a successful brand. But there was also time for fun and games, from fascinator showtime during the historical fiction workshop, to pajama party shenanigans including audio presentations of selected authors’ excerpts on Cliffhanger Night, to book cover bingo.
Additionally, everyone–both authors and readers–had a chance to network during breakout sessions in groups with fascinating names such as Brownie Bites and Chocolate Kisses and Purple Ladies Reign. And everyone had a chance to win great prizes, from $5 Amazon gift cards to Kindles to the grand prize of a website design package.
So, professionally, I’ve had a great month so far. And with the sale of my Christmas series planned for the end of the month–July 28-31–I’ll be ending it with a bang. On a personal note, I enjoyed bittersweet family moments from moving my youngest down to Richmond to begin her life as an RN and a single woman on her own, to celebrating 41 years of marriage.
I’m excited about the rest of the year and 2025. I’ve got big plans for a series that I’ll share as we go along. But first, I have to finish my works in progress, which includes the Kindle Vella story, The Pilot’s Wife, currently at Episode 20. I’m also working on the next book in the Twelfth Day of Christmas Romance series, which as you know, will go live on January 5, 2025. And in my other pen name, AJ Buchanan, I have two books left to complete the “No Strings Attached” series, one of which is almost done. Book 2 is in pre-order and will go live across many platforms on September 12. Click on the links to find them.
Now I must get back into the routine of work. My American Diary Project journal is coming along slowly, but I am determined to be finished on time in December. Wish me luck! And until I see you next time, stay blessed!
This is just a quickie to let y’all know I ended April on a high note, despite the bittersweet last day of the month. I participated in an author event that has come to mean the world to me this past weekend in Jacksonville, FL. It’s the Interracial Romance Author’s Expo (IRAE), and thanks to Kassanna Dwight, the founder and chief organizer of this event, authors of interracial romances are celebrated!
Here are a few images from my weekend, including one of me proudly displaying the award I won for The Surrogate. I had a marvelous time, learned a great deal, and enjoyed meeting new readers and old friends.
Screenshot
I came away with more than an award, though. I also have the beginnings of a romcom, a sub-genre I’ve never written in before, about a Mafia don, a character I’ve never written before. It was fun planning the bare bones of it in a collaborative session between readers and authors. More on that soon.
In the meantime, I have a deadline, so I’d best be on my way. Happy May, my friends!
Can you believe it’s already March 2? Where has the time gone? Happy Women’s History Month!
I know I’ve been away a while, but I’m so excited to share the ups and downs of these last ten months with you all.
We had a marriage, a birth, and a death in our immediate family–all within months of each other–in 2023. As you can imagine, my emotions were all over the place. This year, the first anniversary of that marriage is this month on the 19th, and my grandson’s first birthday is June 28th. How time flies!
2. The final book in the Serendipity series came out in June 2023. The ebook, Back At Last, is available on Kindle, Apple Books, and Nook if you’d like to finish the series, and of course, if you haven’t started it, you’ll find Books 1 and 2 on these platforms, as well.
3. Book 4 in the Twelfth Day of Christmas Romance series was published on January 4, 2024. It is an updated and expanded version of a novella originally published in “Wanted: Mistletoe”, a limited edition anthology. Five Golden Rings, the love story of the preacher and the widow, is now available on Amazon. The first two books will be receiving a makeover later this year to keep the series covers uniform.
4. I’ve been posting on TikTok once daily to give readers the chance to get to know me. Are you curious? Want to see me in my natural elements? Follow me on TikTok HERE. This is yesterday’s post about my writing process, I hope you can open it.
5. Since my word of the year is ‘Try’, and I’ve already tried Amazon ads with a small degree of success, next on my list is a Kindle Vella story. More on that next time!
I can’t believe we’re already started the last full week of May! So much has happened in my personal and professional lives. If you’re a subscriber to my newsletter, you already know a lot of it, but if not, here are the highlights. If you’re interested in finding out more about any titles I mention below, just click on the title and the link will take you to where you can find out more.
On January 5, The Surrogate, the third book in my Twelfth Day of Christmas series, was published.
On March 19, I became a mother-in-law for the second time when my older daughter married her sweetheart.
On March 30, Back At Last, the final book in the Serendipity series, was published.
On April 28, I won Best Holiday Story for Ties That Bind, the second in the Twelfth Day of Christmas series, at the Interracial Romance Authors Expo (IRAE) in St. Petersburg, Florida.
On May 1, Tall Dark, and Rich, a billionaire anthology in which I will have a new story, went on pre-order.
Here are a few pictures of the April event, including one of my beautiful award. I am so happy and so grateful that readers love my stories.
I have been blessed so far this year. There’s a lot left for the rest of the year for me. Among them are the launch of a new pen name for my M/M line, with the second book in the new series, No Strings Attached, 2/3 the way done and due to my publisher in August. I’ll tell you more about all that soon. I’m also participating in a second somewhat different anthology, in which characters from one of my already published novels will feature. Work-life is good!
On my home page, you’ll find a way to subscribe to this blog for periodic updates, and to my newsletter if you haven’t already done so.
First of all, happy holidays to you all! 2022 is almost over and it’s that Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa time of year again! Can you believe it? 18 more days, and it’ll be 2023. Are you ready for that? Not sure I am!
Personally, the year was again marked by pain. My father-in-law passed away unexpectedly in July, and for the first time in 30 years, I returned to the island where I was born to attend his funeral, and to reconnect with my roots and the people who matter to me there. Those were three very intense weeks, and not just because of the funeral and attendant family drama. But I survived, though I can’t help but notice that this will be the fourth year in a row that I have lost someone close. Apparently, trouble does not come in threes…it comes in whatever numbers it chooses.
I was very saddened by the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. I think I was one of the few who thought she would live forever, because she seemed so indefatigable, so indestructible, even near the end when she was obviously frailer than before. When I was born in Jamaica she was still our queen and remained so for almost four years of my life before we gained our independence in 1962.
I always admired the Queen. She was a strong woman who lived according to a set of rules that could not always have made her happy. The Queen and my mother were the same age — my mom was two months older than her — though Mom died in November 2019. I miss them both, which you probably think is weird to say, but which is true, nonetheless. I wish them both peaceful rest.
On the professional front, I did a lot of hard work to get my name out there and to introduce readers to my work. I learned how to make videos with music on Canva and sharpened my skill with ads on Bookbrush….see a BookBrush example below. And one of my novels, the first in the Twelfth Day Of Christmas series — His Christmas Love — won an Emma Award for Best Interracial Romance. And in all that, I completed five novels and a novella.
First out was Ties That Bind on January 5 — my second Twelfth Day Of Christmas novel about the First Son of the United States and the college professor he falls for. Next was the second book in my Serendipity series, Back To Love, which came out on July 4. Then I reworked and completed a novella, A Very Pregnant Christmas, which is currently published in the anthology Wanted: Mistletoe. This came out on November 1.
Then there are the three novels that I finished but that won’t be published until next year. First up is Back At Last, the final book in the Serendipity series. Final edits are almost done and it is scheduled to come out in March 2023. Next is The Surrogate, the third book in my Twelfth Day Of Christmas series. It comes out on January 5, 2023, and is now available for pre-order on Amazon. Just click on the title. The price will increase on January 12. Finally, I completed a novel I began work on in 2018, which is with a beta reader and will then be sent to an editor. It is in a sub-genre that I have never written in before except as a ghostwriter. I’m thinking about whether or not to launch a new pen name for this story, which is the first in a series. More on that once I’ve made a decision.
So, to recap…five novels, one novella, a number of ads, a new TikTok page, a first book signing event, and an award for one of my novels. I’ve accomplished a great deal for a retired English teacher who chose writing as her second vocation. And in all of that, I was able to support my husband and his family through the loss of their patriarch, overcoming my fear of flying in order to do so. Seems like I have much to be proud of and to be grateful for.
Which brings me to this point…I could not have done any of this without my writing partner and you, my faithful readers. I can’t say enough thanks for your trust that I would give you a great story. I appreciate you all and wish you the very best for the holiday season. We’ll see each other in 2023, DV.
Here’s to a blessed and productive 2023! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanzaa!
KT
PS Remember, to see any of the published books mentioned, just click on the links in the titles. And thank you for helping me celebrate another good year!
It’s been a trying few months in my household, starting with my father-in-law’s death, an unexpected trip back home to Jamaica (after a 30-year absence!) as a result, a mystery illness that plagued my husband for the entire time we were there, and two cases of COVID-19 in my house, one of whom was me.
And all this with story deadlines coming up.
Needless to say, I didn’t make them all. But I did make one…a novella as part of a Christmas anthology that comes out on November 1. My novella is called A Very Pregnant Christmas, and it’s about a minister who’s never been in love and the widow with two sons whom he falls for. I made a cover (which may change when I get the rights to the story back next February). It’s not the cover for the anthology…you’ll see that below. What do you think of my effort?
The title of the anthology is Wanted: Mistletoe and it includes many USA Today Bestselling authors including Olivia Gaines and Stephanie Morris. It’s up for pre-order, and if you’re interested in an ARC of my story, you can click on this link to take you to the sign-up form.
Here’s the link to the anthology, and thank you for your support!
EPIPHANIES by K. T. BOND 