Writing

New Release: All In My Head

by Kristen James

So… All In My Head is out!!

All in my HEadAvery Waldorf wakes up from a concussion to find a voice inside her head—an adventurous male voice belonging to Marcus, who doesn’t know where he came from, but has an opinion on everything about her life. She just wants to work on her screenplay, go to her writing classes and flirt with the guy of her dreams, Nash, who is finally noticing her.

Marcus wants to get up at dawn, run, snowboard, and basically take over her life, and even her body at times. He thinks she’s freaking hot and does not like Nash touching her. Marcus may be smart, talented at snowboarding, drawing and playing the guitar, but he’s not real! When she needs help, she has to call Nash.

She can’t tell anyone about Marcus without sounding like she’s crazy. Meanwhile Marcus doesn’t know where he’ll go if he leaves her mind. Maybe she is losing it…

Amazon    Kobo   Smashwords   Nook      Teaser Below!

This is my longest book to date, my first time writing in first person, and my first college age romance. I’m excited! It was such a fun book to write, and Avery and Marcus came to life. You might remember my writing challenge: that I want to write books that different, unique, and beyond what I’ve written before. This story is fun, flirty and very emotional, and full of surprises.

***

It’s All In My Head TEASER:

Then, mid-class, I realized that instead of paying attention, I was looking down at my notepad, sketching instead of taking notes or even trying to listen. It took a few slow seconds for me to see that I was drawing myself. And I don’t draw.

I stared in horror like it was a dead rat. Holeeee hell. Really, I can’t draw at all, and this was pretty good. Really good. I mean, it looked like me, even with expression.

Marcus, is that you drawing?

Oh … sorry. Bored out of my mind.

You’re good.

Wow, is that a … what do you call that? Oh, a compliment.

I scanned the few people around me who could see my desk. No one was looking my way.

How do you know what I look like when you’re on the inside, looking out?

I’ve seen you in the mirror.

He got all this from a few glances in the mirror? Marcus had a fine memory.

You have very striking looks. Now can I please get back to my artwork?

Worried and yet fascinated, I watched my own hand move the pencil in confident strokes, filling in my lips. When had Marcus been able to study me that much? The only time he saw my face was when I looked in the mirror. Speaking of my face, it got hot—for several reasons. First, I was drawing myself. I’d die if anyone noticed. Second, it blew up some of my theories about Marcus, or what was causing all this. If I can’t draw, I can’t make up a person who can, right? And third, he was drawing me in a certain mood. I looked … suggestive.

Excuse me, Marcus, but when have you seen that look on my face?

I have an imagination. A very vivid one at times.
Read the first 10% on Amazon.

My new writing goal (challenge)

by Kristen James

There’s more books coming out each day than ever before, in all of history, which can be daunting to an author who doesn’t want to get lost in the tsunami of reading material available. Every year I set goals to improve as a writer, and then I read novels, read books on writing, and write. This year I went to a week long writing workshop. For the last couple of years, my goals included writing longer, deeper, more meaningful books.

Then, while writing It’s All In My Head, something clicked for me: an obvious epiphany, I guess, but I realized each new book I write has to have something completely new and different about it, something unique to offer above an awesome story that moves readers. I’ve known on some level for a while that a book needs to have a twist on common themes and story lines to catch readers’ attention, but I really feel it and understand it now. I’ve tried to offer that in previous books, giving reader a new perspective and kind of story. My married romances are a bit different, and I like to stretch normal romance genre rules, too. I like to think I write love stories that readers outside of the romance genre can enjoy. This new goal is beyond even that.

Here’s what I’m thinking: If the story isn’t new and different, why write it?

Maybe you just thought, “Duh!” But it’s a scary thing to put out there as an author. Think about it – are most new books really that different from what’s been written?

I could be wrong. Readers might want the same thing over and over. You know, you go to a certain author due to their brand, and you know what to expect. On the other hand, I want each new book to be special, even while having my voice and signature characters. So I’m challenging myself to offer something new and special in each new book.

Celebrate the Art

by Kristen James

A lot of authors write about what success means to them in this ever changing world of publishing. I’ve thought and written about different levels of success, and something really struck me lately.

When my son finishes a drawing, that’s the end of the process. He accesses how he did, shares it and maybe saves it if it’s a really good one. He gets to feel successful and proud of himself right then and there—because he did a good job and put his best effort into it. Do you remember that feeling? You showed your picture to your mom, who proclaimed it beautiful, and you went away feeling great because you created something.

I did have a moment like that with my very first one. I wrote it on an electrical typewriter somewhere around the 6th or 7th grade. I remember shaking from excitement as I called my best friend and read her the last page. I finished a book! I did it!

In writing, at least as an adult, finishing a book is just a step in a much bigger process. Sometimes it’s easy to forget to celebrate that moment of the journey. Why? Because nothing happens. As adults, we’re waiting for the results. It’s not always about external results. In fact, relying on those external rewards can leave you feeling empty.

There’s a moment during the writing process where the novel really comes together for me. It happens when the idea is down and developed along with the plot and characters. There’s a moment, even before the draft is done, when I realize I have something good. It’s better than my previous books. The idea is different. I love spending my day with my characters. I feel proud of what I’m making, even if it’s not all of the way done yet. This moment is for me, when I can celebrate adding a new book to my body of work. It’s my success moment.

I recently took a two hour painting class with my son. The instructor walked us through painting a parrot. Mine turned out looking like a gorilla bird with very wide shoulders and a strong face. My son’s turned out like a happy Toucan. We have our paintings hanging together on the wall now and plan to take more classes. He’s a dedicated artist, putting in hours and hours, much like I did with writing when I was ten. It’s a huge joy to share his journey with him, and it reminds me that creative endeavors are about the art, whether it’s painting, drawing or stories. It reminded me to celebrate finishing a book, even if it’s not out there yet for people to read. I finished this book! I did it!

Where in the world is Kristen?

by Kristen James

My title sounds like this will be a travel blog, but actually, I thought people might be wondering why I haven’t blogged in a while. I’m buried under words, thousands and thousands of words…

Two weeks ago, I went to the Breakout Novel Intensive Workshop taught by Donald Maass. It’s organized through Free Expressions Literary with Lorin Oberweger, who is one of the one-on-one instructors. I got to meet with five writing instructors who had read the beginning of my novel, and each meeting changed the book! I had heard this was a life changing experience for many authors, and I have to agree. Even after studying Donald Maass’ books and online articles, I learned so much about the craft of writing. The week long workshop shows writers how to take all of that advice and apply it directly to the work in progress. We had class in the morning with Don, and then writing time and meetings in the afternoons, for a week. I should clarify that “class” means interactive learning, where we dug into different students’ works to see how the methods actually worked. I changed my title, doubled my plot line, worked on upping the conflict and tension throughout the book, and worked on different ways to show emotion on the page. I learned SO MUCH and yet the best part of the experience was spending a week with industry professionals and almost 40 other authors.

I think my novels have delivered emotional impact, but I wasn’t sure how my current storyline would do that. So I learned how to expand my current work in progresss with deeper emotions, much more plot and more character development. That’s a lot of writer talk that means this story will be HUGE! And by HUGE, I mean emotionally. And I’m so excited about the storyline too.

If you’ve missed my updates, I’m working on All In My Head, which I was calling Star Struck for a while. Avery wakes up after a concussion with a male voice in her head. That’s just the starting point. (The ending point is how Avery and Marcus have taken over my head!)   So back to writing I go…

Costa Rica – sneak peek

by Kristen James

Costa Rica (preview the first chapter on Amazon.) 

You can read the first 10% of any book on Amazon so I like to share from other parts of the book. This is near the beginning, before they leave Oregon:

Costa Rica by Kristen James

She barely registered when the front door swung open. Drew walked into the hallway and dropped his keys in the dish. The hallway light flicked on.

“Holy mother!”

His squeal spooked her into sitting straight up, and remembering why she’d been waiting for him. “Drew?”

“Annalisa? You scared the bejesus out of me. What are you doing sitting in the dark?”

She didn’t immediately answer. That must have clued him into her mood and he stepped closer, leaning on the door frame to wait. They’d always been straight with each other (ironic, isn’t it?) and skipped the lead ups.

“Vincent’s cancer came back. There’s another tiny tumor. It’s not treatable anymore.”

The air swooshed out of him. “Oh.”

He stood for a minute and then walked into the living room and slumped down in the recliner across from her. This was a painful moment, but he didn’t rush to her. He didn’t even sit with her. They sat in silence except for his occasional exhale. Drew didn’t really cry–this was as close as he ever came.

The light was just a soft one from the hallway, but it seemed too bright for this conversation. She waited a long time before speaking again. “They asked us to come over Friday night for a barbeque. I said we’d bring a salad. Vincent would have called you, but he said it’s been hard to get a hold of you.”

That last little line had a wealth of ill will. She’d been shell-shocked till that moment, but then she realized Drew had let his best friend down. Didn’t Drew understand that? Vincent was fighting for his life, and Drew was busy chasing skirt. And what if she had needed him? He hadn’t been there for her either. He had slowly and quietly packed up his emotional ties to her and left a shell. Her guilt, for that moment, evaporated.

Drew said not a word in response. Once upon a time this handsome man had been her rock, her friend and her guiding light. Now she wanted to slap him.

He finally realized she was glaring at him and glanced at his wristwatch. “It’s way too late to call him.”

“Yeah, it’s almost midnight.”

“You were out way past midnight just yesterday.”

“But I don’t do that all the time…” Her thought lost steam. “I’m not the one…”

Drew looked at her, really gazed into her eyes. His expression showed alarm and then dread. There it was, out in the open. Maybe they weren’t going to say it, but he had to know she was suspicious.

She had not once ever, ever doubted him. Even as they drifted apart, she didn’t question him, check up on him or wonder what he was doing. She envisioned a crack racing across that large stone bridge of trust, and it fell in a loud, painful crash.

She got up and went upstairs to bed. Drew never followed.

 

COSTA RICA

Annalisa and Drew have always dreamed of going to Play Flamingo, Costa Rica, with their best friends, Vincent and Melinda. But now they’re out of time.

Annalisa feels their marriage is just a shell for others to see–there’s nothing left inside. She wonders if they can rekindle their love in paradise, but there’s so little left. They gave up on their marriage along with their dream of having children.

Time is literally slipping away from Vince and Mel. Vincent’s cancer is back–his tumor is inoperable and he won’t do chemo again. This trip is now or never.