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New Book! Kauai Spy Games

by Kristen James

Kauai Spy Games – Kindle Link

by Kristen James and Jeff Ivanov

Seasoned covert operative Jeff Ivanov knows something is stirring in paradise. His never ending antics and perchance for romance got him a two year leave,  aka paid vacation, to his childhood home of Kauai. The Garden Island, however, is a hotbed of nationalities with hidden national agendas.  Even while enjoying the island Aloha life, he can’t miss the gorgeous Russian ladies flirting with scientists and engineers from Kauai Missile Base. When his old team members start to show up, the party’s on. Of course their mission isn’t condoned or even recorded. The Na Pali Seven do not exist.

As the son of a US Naval Captain and a Russian born professor, his role is to use his Russian connection to block the Russians from getting too close to the enamored scientists. The assignment gets real easy when Anya saunters into the bar and into his sights. They play the game together but emotions are dangerously real.

The Na Pali Seven could be responsible for stopping the largest and most devastating attack on US soil and Ivanov might be falling for the enemy.

Kauai Spy Games on Facebook (www.facebook.com/KauaiSpyGames)

 

Treasure Hunting in The Woods

by Kristen James

What’s more fun than an Easter Egg Hunt? Foraging Chanterelle mushrooms in the woods in the mossy forest floor. My husband and I went sighted in our hunting rifles (and I put a hole right in the middle of my target several times!) and then went mushroom hunting under the tall timber, where thick moss grows over the stumps and logs. We’d find one sticking up here and there and discovered, if we poked around the surrounding moss, we could find several more. They were hiding this time.

We came home with over 9 pounds of mushrooms in our pillow cases, which made it fun because it looked like Santa’s bags. And when you pick mushrooms, you can’t resist making mushroom soup. I started that and broccoli soup for the kids. I’d promised them broccoli soup before finding all the mushrooms, and cheddar broccoli soup is pretty irresistible too. So I ended up with two big pots of yummy homemade soup.

Of course you have to really, really know what you’re doing if you forage wild mushrooms. We’ve learned from books (What the Rain Brings, our favorite) and my husband’s brother who is a biologist. Chanterelles are one fairly easy to identify. There are some that we can almost identify, but we won’t eat them! Almost isn’t good enough. If you take the time to learn about edible mushrooms, it can be very rewarding.

Sneak Peak from A Cowboy For Christmas

by Kristen James

Brent’s jeans hugged his legs all the way up. Then his shirt molded to his trim waist before stretching across his shoulders. She looked at the horse as he drew closer so he wouldn’t see the way she admired every inch of him.

“I’m going to ride your horse?” Could it be a good sign? Or did he plan a big joke on her? She hated uncertainty worse than anything, and he put her on shaky ground time and time again.

“I trust him, and believe me, you’ll want a horse we can trust.” He motioned for her to come over. That authoritative gesture sent hot licks of want up her. The sensation shocked her senseless for a minute. He motioned again.

“Okay, okay.” Keep your senses about you, girl. The speckled monster pawed the ground and looked her over. She joined Brent on the horse’s left side.

“Offer your hand, like you did before.” Brent instructed. “He senses your fear.”

Fear? She wanted to argue, but she wasn’t much of a liar. After she looked at Brent, she held out her hand and Jeffery rubbed his soft nose in it.

“All right, boy,” Brent soothed. “This lady needs to learn how to ride, and you’re just the horse to do it.”

After he reassured the horse, he turned to her. “I’m putting you on the fast track to riding. We could put you up there bareback so you could learn to lead, but you said you’re fast learner, right?”

Was that a dare? “I am.”

“We’ll get you up there, then you can get used to how it feels. Next you’ll practice leading him with the reins. Now watch.” He grabbed the saddle, put his foot in the stirrup, and swung up. After he dismounted, he nodded for her to try.

Just like that, huh?

“Hand here.” He took her hand and pulled it up. She jumped at his touch. A small jump, but she felt it all the way through her.

His hat threw shade over his eyes, but she was pretty sure he’d seen.

“Foot there,” he said. She nodded and pretended not to hear the amusement just begging to slip through his steady voice. She did as instructed and placed her foot in the stirrup.

“Up and at ‘em.” He swatted her bottom as she started up.

 

Go to Amazon to sample the first chapter on Kindle or print with See Inside!

“A Cowboy for Christmas is a great romance for the holidays or anytime you like.” Coffee Time Romance

“It was a great romance that I could easily see made into a holiday movie.” The Fictional Bookshelf – 5 Star Review

You might also like More Than Memories.

September Travel and Writing News

by Kristen James

September is travel month. Well, so far. I visited Canada for the first time and saw some of the countryside and a few cities. We drove up to Coquitlam and saw a beautiful park there, full of everything from sand volleyball to a track. It had a water park, playground, skate park, soccer fields and concessions. Now it also has permanent ping pong tables from my husband’s company, Bravado Outdoors! I have to say I’m a bit jealous of their park – we need more parks like this here in the US. You could seriously spend half a day there with your kids, and it was free.

Canada wasn’t that much different from Oregon and Washington, but I noticed a fun accent that seemed to pop up on the end of sentences.

The entire drive from mid Oregon up into Canada was beautiful and it didn’t get really hot until our last day coming home. After Canada, we returned to Washington and went to the San Juan islands. This was another first for me, and well worth it. My favorite part was actually the hour ferry ride out to the island and back.  I love watching the water, feeling the wind when we went outside and watching for whales. I didn’t see any on the ferry ride, but I was lucky enough to spot one off the Oregon coast about two weeks ago. It was hot in Washington and on the island, but it felt pretty cool and windy on the ferry deck. There were sailboats everywhere – we watched them from the ferry and while we ate dinner in a place overlooking the boats and bay.

 

September Writing Updates

Check out my previous blog for the Big Giveaway. There’s several blogs hosting a giveaway – check visit them to enter for a combination of print and ebooks from my titles.

I have a guest blog on Bee’s Knees Reviews titled “What the Publishing Revolution Means to Readers.”

A Cowboy For Christmas is featured in the Book Junkie Library for September along with two other books. The site lists over 150 authors and 300 books. I’m hoping A Cowboy For Christmas makes the top 1,000 in Kindle this month. We’re getting close!

A Flash of Inspiration is free in Kindle. It’s a collection of 100-word stories, including two from me.

Wow, that’s a lot of updating for the first week of the month! I’m enjoying the end of summer (and the return of hot weather here) but I’m also looking forward to writing more during the winter hours.

Back To School Thoughts

by Kristen James

I’m starting to wonder if I jinxed summer! I blogged about the season and then, when my kids went back to school, it suddenly got cool here. We’ve had three days of cooler, cloudy weather. Now I’m hoping my garden will mature before the weather really turns to autumn.

School started with a bang. We’re into the full swing of things and even two days into football practice – tackle football even, so I’m a bit nervous. Sometimes I wish they had a “stay little” button so I could catch up and be ready for all this!

My year seems to structure itself around the school year – I set goals starting in fall. Last school year I wrote and published several books, and this summer I focused on freelance writing and spending time with the kids. We had a lot of fun, and of course the summer went by all too quickly. In August, I got to watch one of my novels, A Cowboy For Christmas, spike up the rankings in Kindle and continue to climb. It’s been a fun and amazing to experience. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in September. A Cowboy For Christmas will be featured on The Book Junkie Library and I’m also joining a book giveaway with Bees Knees’s Reviews where we’ll give away a few print and Kindle copies of my books.

Enjoy your summer/fall weather!

Update – The Giveaway is up (see next blog post) and my guest blog on Bee’s Knees Reviews, “What The Publishing Revolution Means to Readers”  is up at http://beeskneesreviews.blogspot.com/2011/09/what-publishing-revolution-means-to.html.

 

What’s your favorite part of summer?

by Kristen James

A brilliant orange sunset filled the stormy sky last night as I drove into town, and the air was saturated with the smell of blackberries, sweet grass and rain. The mix of beauty and smells turned my thoughts to all the things I love about summer, especially in August when the garden is producing and blackberries are ripe, but we sometimes get thunderstorms, like last night, that hint at autumn. It’s summer with excitement about back to school and apple pies, hot apple cider and fun fall time activities.

But back to summer… I love swimming in the river in August because the water is at its warmest here. (Which isn’t actually very warm compared to some other states.) I enjoy this time of year when we can throw on shorts and tank tops and not worry about keeping warm or stay dry. Summer is more simple.

I don’t think summer is my writing season, though. There is so much to do outside, and it’s light until 9 in the beginning of summer. It’s time to go out, have friends over, float the river and play outside. We also swim almost every day that it’s over 80 degrees. I have been hard at work with freelance writing through the summer, but I haven’t worked on a novel since spring. However, I wrote Book Promoting 101 and A Miraculous Fate during the last school year and published those two along with More Than Memories. That’s one reason why I look forward to those long winter nights. I’m able to focus and write after putting the kids to bed.

Of course summer also means the kids are home, and I’ve actually been working on a children’s picture book with my middle child. He wanted something to do over the summer and loves art. I printed out a couple of stories I’d written and let him pick one to illustrate. Both my sons are talented at drawing and artwork. I’ve focused my creativity on writing, but I’ve also drawn and painted in the past. He’s finished four pages so far that look very nice! I can’t wait to share with people, but we’re waiting until the book is almost done. We hoped to finish it over the summer, but once again, we had so many fun, outdoor activities! But sometime soon he’ll have his very own published book to take for show-and-tell and send to family.

What is summer to you? Camping and traveling, or parties in the city? Like many people, I cherish family gatherings, special memories with the kids and the special magic of the season.

Life’s About The Journey

by Kristen James

I heard a great joke recently. An 85 year old man goes to the doctor, concerned about how long he’ll live. The doctor asked him, “Well, do you drink?”

“No, not a sip.”

“Do you play golf or swim out in the sun?”

“No, of course not.”

The list went on with all the normal questions, to which the man replied he stayed on the straight and narrow path.

“Well then,” the doctor finally said, “Then why do you care how long you’ll live?”

Funny jokes like that remind me about the important things like time spent with loved ones, and making fun memories. There’s a few things I think everyone should try at least once, like:

Riding a motorbike. Some people want to drive, others are content riding on back. I love being the passenger so I can watch all the scenery.

Visiting a foreign country and immersing yourself in the culture, the “differentness” and soaking up a different pace of life. (Probably some language and lots of new experiences!)

Getting out on the water in a canoe, kayak or raft. You really feel a part of nature as you glide over the water. There’s something for riding a speed boat, ferry or even bigger boat too. Any kind of boat is a good experience!

Riding a bicycle through the jungle, in the dark, after a few beers. Well, maybe that one isn’t for everyone, but it sure makes you laugh when you reach your hotel and realize the tiger didn’t get you.

I’m sure we could write a book about things to try, so feel free to comment!

Thank You Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry

by Kristen James

I’m sure we all reach points where we think we could be on the wrong path, or we can’t make things happen no matter how badly we want them. Maybe the dream isn’t worth it, or it’s too hard, or it just won’t happen in time. Here and there I wonder what life could be if I wasn’t a writer, if I had a desire to do anything else. Then I remember my dream. Sometimes it only takes a connection with someone else to feel revived and ready to run forward. Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry have both given me that connection with a song.

These two entertainers don’t have a lot in common, and neither writes motivating songs per se. Yet each singer has one song unlike their others.

“It’s The Climb” by Miley Cyrus

Cyrus starts with, “I can almost see it, that dream I’m dreaming…” Do you ever feel the realization of your dream is right around the corner? I feel the song mirrors my writing journey, especially when she sings, “There’s always gonna be another mountain. I’m always gonna wanna make it move.” If you’ve chased a big dream for most of your life, like me, you know this feeling well. It’s nice knowing others are climbing their own mountains, and it’s also nice hearing “It ain’t about how fast I get there, ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side. It’s the climb.” It’s the journey. We’ve all heard that a hundred times, and each time it’s more true. “It’s The Climb” reminds me to enjoy life as I live it, not waiting for happiness when I reach the end of the road. What’s the point in that? I write because I love it and enjoy it, but I still need that lesson.

“Firework” by Katy Perry

“Firework” is a faster song with an energetic message. Perry begins with, “Do you ever feel like a plastic bag drifting through the wind?” Later she says, “Do you know there’s still a chance for you? Cause there’s a spark in you. You just gotta ignite…the light…and let it shine.” She encourages us to “own the night like the 4th of July.” I love the imagery here. (I’m not sure what my college professors would think of a paper on the imagery and literary devices in these songs, but heck, both songs are beautiful.)

Two great lines from this song say, “You’re original, cannot be replaced. If you only knew what the future holds…” One of the best encouragements to a writer is realizing each of us has our own, completely unique, world view.

When I listen to “It’s The Climb,” I remember to…well, enjoy the climb. When I hear “Firework,” I feel excited (ignited!) to light up the night. Imagine if these two singers didn’t record these songs. I reflect on that and my own life and think, even if my novels aren’t changing the world, they might affect a life.

In The Beginning Was A Story

by Kristen James

In the beginning of the world, was the word. In the beginning for me and writing, there was a story. It was 4th grade and I had Mrs. Straight. I went into the year scared because of the rumors, mostly from the older kids. They were right, she was loud and firm. But soon I discovered she shared about herself and cared about us kids. When we read The Trupeter Swam (think that’s the right title) we made posters by cutting and gluing on construction paper. I decided to make a 3-D picture and glued “grass” to stick up around a a nest. I think the mother swan was swimming in the water in 3-D too. Mrs. Straight loved it. She took it down to display in the school library, and I think that’s the first time I remember thinking my teacher was proud of me.

I think it was spring when we worked on writing short stories. I wrote about a young girl playing in the woods and finding a unicorn. Mrs. Straight loved that too, and picked me to read my story at the school assembly. It was held in the evening with all the parents, and I also got to be in the mime show. I remember reading my story and feeling my white mime paint running off my face. Afterward I found out it hadn’t, really. It just felt like it.

I remember getting excited when I heard art or story assignments. The teacher presented an idea and we could fill it in, expand it or change it. But the assignment would always spark all kinds of ideas. I’d have several before the teacher finished giving instructions, and it seemed to be the one time that was okay.

Mrs. Straight left school before the year ended. She told us about finding a lump and needing surgery. I remember sitting behind the school with my friends on reward day – we got an ice cream if we hadn’t gotten in trouble that quarter. I think I had a fudgebar, although that might be my corrective memory. Still, I clearly remember what it tasted like, and how sad I was while eating it. I can’t tell you if that was the day we found out she had to leave, or if it was the day we found out she died. Whichever day it was, it was the day I knew I wouldn’t see her again. I do remember what it felt like to have someone like my writing for the very first time, and having a teacher that inspired me.

The Scenery of my Life

by Kristen James

The road is a fairytale lane filled with sunshine. At least it was today when I drove through on my way home from the small nearby town. Light purple blooms huddle all over a tree on the left while white blossoms cover the trees on the right. Smaller bushes sport pink flowers too. Color everywhere, from the tender new blooms to the newly grown bright green grass covering all the surrounding hills and mountains beyond. There had been a rainstorm here in the valley last night that left snow capped mountains to frame our world.

The country road curves through the trees and then straightens out into farmland. The river runs wildly over on the other side of the pasture, which is filled with hundreds of lambs right now. They lay in cuddle piles of white fluffiness or run about after their mothers. On the other side of the road, the pasture holds calves. They’re smaller than you’d think, than you’d expect of a cow.

This is the scenery I drive through. At home, daffodils decorate the bottom of all the tree trunks. Each flower clump is a slightly different color. Some have bright orange centers, others peach, and still others a rich yellow. Bluebells bloom close to the house in blue, pink and a beautiful purple. I suspect another bird family has moved into the Rhoddies. Last year a scrub jaw nested there in a half foot wide nest of sticks. These birds are smaller and orange, and that’s all I’ve notice as they fly away when I walk by.

Some days I write 10 or 20 pages on a book project or get a book formatted for publication. Today it was hard to focus on getting much done, so I did little things like adding this blog to my website. Writing can focus my mind when it wands to run in all directions. Taking a drive and then writing about the beauty out here calmed my thoughts today.