Carolyn Kay's Blog

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Chaz and I decided not to have a table at DPCC (formerly Denver Comic Con) this year, but I will be on panels talking about villains, critique groups, female knights and social media. Check out my schedule below.

If you want to know where you can find Chaz and I this summer and pick up more of his amazing art and the oracle deck, sign up for our newsletter!

DPCC Schedule:

Outside Voices: How Good Feedback Helps You Become a Stronger Writer
Saturday, June 1 at 2:30 pm – Room 601

What do I call a female knight? Women Warriors in Our Fiction
Sunday, June 2 at 11:30 am – Room 601

Mindful Writing: Social Media & Mental Health for Authors
Sunday, June 2 at 2:30 pm – Room 601

Villains – Heroes of Their Own Stories & Why They Rule
Sunday, June 2 at 4:00 pm – Room 603

Last week I was blessed to be on the Emerald Isle, vacationing with my husband and our good friends. It was the trip of a lifetime, and I’m still trying to process everything we saw and did.

[image error]All the shades of green!

Ireland is amazing. It is as green as the pictures show and everyone says. There’s a laid-back peace to the country too. (This does not include Northern Ireland, where the countryside is magical, but the cities are tense. I’ll talk more about that in a later post.)

There is a magic to this place. It’s in the stones of the streets that have been there for a thousand years. It’s in the walls of the pubs, cathedrals, and alleyways. With the exception of the Native ruins in the southwest, we don’t have that kind of solid, tangible history in this country. We don’t live and work among buildings that are hundreds of years old. We don’t worship in places that were built without the aid of gas-powered machines. (At least not here in the west.) It takes your breath away to think of the history that these places have seen.

We walked up stairways of carved stone that were worn smooth by the passage of time and untold numbers of feet. We strolled through castle grounds filled with trees older than our own country. We walked down lanes sheltered by trees tended by fairies, and clambered over rocks once thrown by giants. 

I’ll leave you with a few pictures and the promise of more to come. 
Feicfidh mé go luath thú.

[image error][image error]Cliffs at Carrick-a-Rede Bridge[image error]Blarney Castle[image error]Book of Kells[image error]Brazen Head Pub
Oldest Pub in Ireland[image error]Christchurch
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Christchurch[image error]Dark Hedges[image error]Dolmen at
Blarney Castle[image error]Dublin[image error]Dunluce Castle[image error]Fairy Forest
at Blarney Castle[image error]Entrance to the Hidden Lands?[image error]Giant’s Causeway[image error]Long Library at Trinity College

Halloween, and Samhain are approaching. The weather is trying to cool off (looking at you, Denver with your 80 degrees yesterday), and the days are getting darker.  The Morrigan–Celtic triune goddess of birth, death, and rebirth, and battles, war, and death–has been a prominent voice in my thoughts these last weeks.

She’s gearing up for battle, to stand at the sides of those who would stand against [image error]tyranny and hatred.  She’s calling to us to polish our swords and our pens and do what we need to do to make sure this world moves forward in a positive way for everyone, not just the privileged few. She’s walking with parents who seek a better life for their children, who are fleeing poverty, war, and terror. She’s standing next to you when you cast your ballot in this election. She will not judge as long as you follow your heart, and not the fear that is blasted at us every single day. It takes courage to fight past fear, and to do it every day; to keep living and trying to do good when all you see on the news is hatred and negativity.

The Morrigan is there, by your side, with her sword out and her wings spread wide. This is a battle worth fighting, and it can be won if we all take part.

Vote.

 

I haven’t written a blog post in a while because everytime I’d go to write one, it’d turn into a rant. The world definitely feels like it’s a $hit-show right now, and one more blog post about that fact isn’t going to change anything. So I just didn’t write anything. But now what?

[image error]Art is Resistance Poster from Nine Inch Nails Wiki

There was talk on several panels at WesterCon last week, and I was reminded of it again last night,  that Art IS Resistance. That really struck a chord with me, mostly because while I’d love to go out to protests, big crowds get to me, so I end up staying home and feeling guilty.  But I shouldn’t feel guilty.  I am doing something to resist. I’m writing. I’m writing tarot descriptions that will hopefully help people feel better about themselves and their lives, or spur them on to make changes if they aren’t. And I’m writing stories about people resisting the evil in the world. Even if those stories don’t inspire someone to go out and protest or campaign for change, they provide entertainment, and a break from the real world. And we all need a break – even if it’s just for an hour.

And speaking of breaks, I’ve started skimming FB posts. If they’re long, I’m probably not going to read them. I just don’t have the bandwidth anymore. I’ll watch the kitten and puppy videos and the flaminco dancers, but that’s about it. I’m glad people are speaking out about all the unspeakable things going on, but I’ve reached my limit. I’m tapping out – for now.  I’ll get back into it, but I need some time away.

Instead of watching cable news, my husband and I are watching Queer Eye on Netflix. 90% of the time, we’re crying by the end, but they’re happy tears. The Fab 5 have renewed our faith that there is some good in humanity.  I think we’re happier staying away from the constant bombardment of crap, and by watching something like Queer Eye, we’re countering all those basement dwelling trolls who think LGBTQ and POC led shows aren’t worth producing. They say be the change you want to see in the world. And I say, watching positive shows, buying the art of resistance and reading the same, is just as important. Put your money and your streaming time where your heart is.

Support art in any of its forms. Support resistance.

You can help support the resistance by checking out my books and leaving me a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Thanks!

It’s July, which means its time for fireworks and WesterCon![image error]

For those that don’t know, WesterCon is a traveling convention, and this year it’s in Denver, hosted by Myths and Legends Con.

It’s a 5-day con – July 4-8, 2018, so there’s plenty of time to come hang out and see all that there is to see. Chaz and I will be in the vendor hall as Ashelon Publishing; selling his art (there may be a con-exclusive piece available!) and my books.  So please come and say hi!

We’re both also on a lot of panels (Chaz is on 13!), so you may not always be able to catch us at the booth. Here’s where I’ll be when I’m not at the table (note that the vendor hall doesn’t open until Thursday afteroon):

Wednesday

2:00 PM-2:50 PM, Ruins and Relics: The Bones of Your Imaginary World (Thunderpass)

Thursday

9:00 PM-9:50 PM, Mixed Genre Authors & Writing (The Shire)

Friday

1:00 PM-1:50 PM, Concept Art and Book Covers (Dragon Keep)
8:00 PM-8:50 PM, Creating Multicultural Steampunk Characters (The Shire)

Saturday

5:00 PM-5:50 PM, Mega Author Autograph Session (Main Events)
6:00 PM-6:50 PM, Merging Steampunk and Fantasy (The Shire)
7:00 PM-7:50 PM, Making Heroines Even Better (Room of Requirements)

Hope to see you there!

Whew! It’s going to be a busy three days at Denver Comic Con this weekend. Chaz and I will have a booth in Artist Alley – #Z15 (Ashelon Publishing in the guide). So please stop by and say hi!

[image error]DCC 2018 Map

If you’re interested in the panel programming, there’s lots going on.  Here’s where you can find me:

Friday

How does the Hero/ine save the [Endangered Item]? — Friday (6/15/18) 3:00 in Keystone City – Mile High Ballroom DCCP4

Magic in Books, Life & Real World — Friday (6/15/18) 5:30 in Room 402/403

Saturday

Weaving Science, Technology & Magic into Storytelling — Saturday (6/16/18) 11:00am in Room 404

Not Just Novels – Writing Different Lengths — Saturday (6/16/18) 5:30pm – in Room 405

Sunday

Polishing You: Finding and Staying True to Your Unique Writing Style – Sunday (6/17/18) 5pm – Room 404

Wow, it’s May already. Where did the year go? It feels like just yesterday I was planning for the launch of Sikevra, the second installment in Galessel’s Tale. And now today I was pulling weeds–some that were several feet tall–in near 90 degree heat! They say time goes faster the older you get, but when did it hit warp-speed?  It didn’t help that April was chock full of conferences and conventions for both of my careers. I still don’t think I’ve processed it all.

[image error]Baby Groot with a crabapple flower hat. Sometimes he helps me plan. Most of the time he just dances.

I feel guilty for not posting more here on the blog, and at the same time, if I’m posting blogs, I’m not working on other things, like book three in Galessel’s tale, or getting ready for a con, learning about marketing, or keeping the financial books updated. So no matter what I do, I’m feeling guilty. Definitely something I need to work on.

Last month, in between conferences, I did manage to create a bibliography page, where in addition to my books, I’ve added links to my short stories, non-fiction blog posts, and podcasts I’m featured on.  Check it out if you’re so inclined.

But, all that aside, life is good. I write when I can, snuggle with the hubby and the cats, do yoga, and try to keep up with all the Marvel movies. (I so need to see Infinity War again!)

Here’s what’s coming up next for me:

Arvada Center Book Fest – May 17th
ConQuest (in Kansas City) – Memorial Day weekend
Denver Comic Con – June 15-17

One last request, if you’ve read either Dien-Vek or Sikevra, will you leave me a review on Amazon or Goodreads? Good or bad, reviews help get my books out in front of more readers. Thanks!

How is it Valentine’s Day already?

2018 seems to be rushing by, or maybe it’s just because I’m busy. I had the opportunity to attend Superstars Writing Seminar earlier this month, and the knowledge I gained has spurred a stack of To Do’s. Combined with Chaz and I doing more cons this year, I am really glad I invested in a planner. Staying organized is going to be the key to my sanity.

So what am I babbling about? I’ve started a mailing list. You can sign up for it using the form on the left. Or use this link. My goal is to send out a newletter a month – two, max if there’s something really cool going on. I promise not to spam you!

Second, I’ve gotten the ebook version of “Dien-Vek” on all the major retail sites. You can click this handy link (curtesy of Books2Read) to find it at your favorite ebook vendor.

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Third, I will be putting the sequel to “Dien-Vek” – “Sikevera” up for pre-sale soon. I had hoped to have it ready for Whimsy Con at the beginning of March, but sadly it won’t be ready for prime time until sometime in late May, early June. I will, however, have these pretty bookmarks (created by Chaz, of course) to hand out at Whimsy Con to remind you to pre-order.

Stay tuned for more information about my appearance at Whimsy Con March 2-4.

[image error]I am the resistance.

Recently it’s been a struggle to get through the day without falling into a pit of dispair over the latest crap hitting the news cycle. I want it all to stop. I want to quit living in this alternate reality where the rich and powerful have thrown away any pretense of caring for those beneath them in wealth or status, and are running amok.

When are we all finally going to say, ‘enough’? I know the voices of resistance are out there. I have a Twitter list full of them. But where are the other leaders? Our governors, the Democratic and Independant Congress members?  I hear a few, but the rest are either staying silent, or are being drowned out by the latest garbage coming from the White House.

It’s the holiday season, a time already full of it’s own stress for so many of us. But we can’t let our voices be drowned out by Christmas carols on repeat. We still have to resist. We still have to call our representatives, and we still have to take to the streets.  And we have to face the fact that those in power will not change. They listen only to the voices of those who have more money than they do.

This administration is our Empire. We can’t fight them with capitol ships, blasters or light sabers. We have our voices and we have our votes. We can’t wait for someone else to step forward and fight this battle for us. WE are the resistance. Only through the force and volume of sheer numbers will we gain their attention.  Do what you can, when you can. Call and email your reps. Join a protest if you can. Contact those that advertise on the regeme’s propaganda network and tell them you won’t buy their products anymore – and stick by that promise. Support grass-roots candidates in 2018. Raise your voice any way you can. We have to fight, because no one is going to fight for us.

RESIST

Fall is finally here, and Colorado’s fall weather is just around the corner. Tomorrow is supposed to be cool and possibly rainy. The perfect weather for writing.  I’m hoping to snuggle up with some coffee, a cat and make some headway in finishing the second installment of Galessel’s story.

And, while pumpkin spice everything started showing up on shelves, I held out until today, and had my first pumpkin spice latte. It wasn’t actually a conscious decision to wait, but I like the timing nonetheless.

[image error]Sif isn’t sure what to think about her new house mate.

Pre-fall was busy with wedding planning, and our wonderful ceremony, and now Chaz and I are looking forward to getting back into the creative swing of things. He’ll be working on his oracle deck (check out his Patreon for sneak peeks of the cards), and on top of finishing my second novella, I’ll be writing the book to go with the deck.

We won’t talk about how I was shopping for more skeletal animal decorations in late August… I swear, I don’t have a problem- really! (The new acquisitions include two kittens, an iguana and a small T-rex.)

The con season is winding down, but you can catch Chaz and I at MileHiCon at the end of October. I’ll have a table in Author Alley where you can pick up copies of Dien-Vek, Sidekicks, and Adventures in Zookeeping, and of course we’ll both be on panels.

Happy Fall!