Kayti Nika Raet's Blog

 

I’m super excited, guys! You may have already caught a glimpse of the cover for RISE, the final book in The Outsider Chronicles if you were at the Shurling Branch Library in Macon, Georgia yesterday. Like I said, I’m super excited about this cover!

It was really great meeting Melanie Duncan in person, as well as talking to everyone about the writing process, and about Niko herself.

Also, my book is now in the Georgia PINES library system! With holds on it, because someone has currently checked it out!

But back to the glorious RISE cover.

Isn’t it pretty?

Isn’t it stunning?

Here’s the summary

Alone.

Powerless.

At the mercy of enemies.

Losing the faith of those she helped.

Niko must administer the cure that will stop Slither hunters from turning into the very monsters they fight, but Councilwoman King controls the city of Cherai once more. And she’ll do everything in her power to make sure it stays that way.

Troubles are mounting, and Slithers, those pale creatures that crave human flesh are getting smarter. And learning to speak.

As time moves faster than she ever thought possible, Niko must do three things: rescue her close friend Roosevelt from the sinister Councilwoman King, take back Cherai once and for all, survive.

In this epic conclusion to The Outsider Chronicles, Niko will have to fight for what she loves, and this time, all battles are personal.

 

Be sure to add it to your “want to read” on goodreads!

You can preorder the ebook HERE. It’ll be $2.99 until May 23rd, so get it while you can!

And if you’re interested in ordering a SIGNED COPY (trust me, you want this cover in your hands) I have a preorder form HERE.

It’s been a wonderful journey with Niko and her friends, I can’t wait for you to join her on her final one.

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I was reading Sacha Black’s blog post about female villains and how little there are in popular media (seriously, it’s shocking), and it got me thinking about my own bad guys.

If you’ve been following along with this blog and The Outsider Chronicles so far, or even being lucky enough to nab an Advance Reader Copy (yes, I’m just being mean and teasing you) then you may have guessed by now that I love my villains. I think every writer does to some extent.

Besides being a great way to torture develop your main character, writing your book’s villain is just plain fun.

In the beginning, there was no real villain in The Outsider Chronicles…

And then book 3 rolled around Councilwoman King made an appearance.

For those who haven’t read the series yet (WHAT?! Get thee to 1 clicking ), Councilwoman King is a woman who’s ruthless at getting what she wants. And since what she wants and what Niko wants are quite different (just small things, like the lives of her friends, control of the city… small things) she and Niko are forever at odds.

The councilwoman prefers puppets to people.

Like most of the characters in The Outsider Chronicles she was supposed to die, but much to Niko’s chagrin, she keeps popping back up and wrecking all of Niko’s plans.

Have I mentioned that I love the shade she throws?

The councilwoman looked up from her wrist. “You’re an intelligent woman, Harmony. Don’t ruin it now by speaking.” – RISE, The Outsider Chronicles, Book 5

I’m going to miss her now that the series is over. Perhaps she’ll crop up in a short story, we’ll see!

 

 

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I want to thank everyone who showed their support yesterday regarding my ordeal with Heidi Komlofske-Rojek, and San Francisco Book Review. Thank you for all of your comments, shares, and support. And thank you to all of the former freelancers who came forward to tell me their stories. Your voices really helped me get through a very stressful time.

A few of you asked to be updated on my progress. You’ll be glad to know that because of your efforts, I was finally compensated for my time and hard work under San Francisco Book Review.

Apparently, the compensation comes with some strings attached, and I received this email soon after my (at long last!) payment.

I’ll let you draw your own conclusions, but it would appear that Heidi Komlofske-Rojek has paid me for my work, while simultaneously attempting to buy my silence on this whole ordeal.

In this email she claims that she pays reviewers 60 days after the review appears in the magazine (not when the reviewer turns in their work, which is much earlier). It’s a stipulation that appears nowhere on the site, nowhere in the contract I signed, and if you recall from yesterday’s post, nowhere in the emails, where I asked Heidi Komlofske-Rojek, on more than one occasion, when I could expect to get paid.

   

 

Even her assistant doesn’t know Heidi Komlofske-Rojek’s alleged pay schedule.

That email also disregards the comments that Heidi Komlofske-Rojek herself posted on my blog, admitting that she’s two years behind on payment.

I refused to be bullied in such a manner. I refuse to sell my integrity for pennies, and I refuse to post lies to appease a scam artist.

I hope to move on from this and in the future, conduct business with more honest and forthright people. I can’t wait to show you guys the cover for the final book in my dystopian series, along with fun blog posts about writing female villians.

Stay tuned, and I’ll keep you guys updated!

 

I would have a GREAT time too if other people paid for my vacation.

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Any author will tell you that having reviews is a crucial part of a book’s success. It gets your novel in front of the eyes of readers, and editorial reviews* can add an air of legitimacy to your work.

As indie authors editorial reviews are harder to get but there are places like Kirkus Reviews, and Reader’s Favorite among others willing to accept high quality self published novels. The right editorial review can really do much for an author.

Then there are places like the San Francisco Book Review.


I worked with them as a freelance reviewer for nearly six months. This isn’t my first gig as a freelance book reviewer, I’ve done freelance editorial reviews for other sites since 2013. They’re great for avid readers looking to do what they love and discover great books and amazing authors. If you’re interested I heartily encourage you to apply, it’s tons of fun.


But we’re not here to talk about the good. We’re here to talk about the bad, the ugly, the scam.


Back in November 2015, I applied to become a reviewer for the San Francisco Book Review (under my real name) and was thrilled when I got accepted.



Freelance reviewers get to choose from a variety of books, mostly from authors published through several recognizable traditional publishing houses. But we also get to choose from self published books, in fact one of the stipulations for becoming a reviewer for San Francisco Book Review is a willingness to read self-published books, they encourage reviewers to do so in their weekly emails.

It makes sense, if you look on their site they market heavily to indie authors urging them to purchase a review package, ranging from $150 -$725 depending on how fast of a turnaround you want and if you want any extra perks to go along with it.

   

Now, some of them do look a little steep but if you’re worried, Googling San Francisco Book Review won’t reveal anything negative about the company.


From the customers end.


From this reviewer’s end it’s a completely different story.


It all started after I reviewed a couple of Sponsored reviews for them. I noticed they didn’t have a detailed payment schedule. Most editorial sites don’t list them on the Web but once you become a reviewer for them it’s easy to find out how things work and review accordingly.

Not so with San Francisco Book Review. I had to ask Heidi Komlofske-Rojek, head of the San Francisco Book Review and in charge of paying her freelancers, multiple times about this only to receive vague answers.


This went on for several months, all the while I continued to receive emails urging freelancers to review sponsored books, some sounding especially frantic when a book sat for too long with no one picking it up.
   


Eventually, after nearly six months of not getting paid, I resigned and asked to be compensated for my work. Heidi Komlofske-Rojek assured me that I would be, and since I had already turned in my last few reviews I prepared to move on.

Time passed without a word. My final day with San Francisco Book Review came and went with not a single penny being deposited into my account.

So I emailed Heidi Komlofske-Rojek again, and waited for a reply.




Well, isn’t that convenient.
Then I few days later, I had this conversation with her, as I asked, once again, for a more specific payment date.

The fact that I’m expected to wait two, if not more, years to be compensated for my work, and made to feel guilty for not only wanting to know when I would get paid, but (after being given the run around for six months) for having the audacity to request to be compensated in a timely manner is more than incomprehensible. It’s disgusting.


It takes an awful lot to rile me up, I’m generally in a good mood, especially now that I’m about to launch the 5th and final book in my dystopian series on May 23rd.



I’m supposed to be excited, I’m supposed to be creating fun posts detailing my writing process. I’m not supposed to be struggling with a cagey woman, who takes vacations all the while refusing to pay her freelancers. Then has the gall to urge them to review the very books she hesitates to pay them for.

I can’t be the only reviewer whose time and hard work Heidi Komlofske-Rojek has swindled in this manner, at the very least I hope this blog post encourages more to step forward. Not only does this hurt legitimate book review sites, it also hurts authors who, because of one company’s shenanigans, may end up paying for subpar reviews from disgruntled freelancers.

















There are some great sites and editorial publications out there for anyone looking to become a freelance reviewer. Reader’s Favorite is a good one, you can also apply to Kirkus Reviews, and Publishers Weekly is specifically looking for writers of diverse backgrounds and ethnicities. But based off of my experience, I can’t in good conscious recommend San Francisco Book Review as one of them.

*Editorial reviews are different from Customer Reviews. They’re usually what you see on the back of the book or in a special section on an Amazon book page.







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I can’t believe I’m saying this. I’m both excited and super sad, because…

Good news though! I now have a date when you can expect to get RISE in your hands.

*drumroll*

May 23rd!

So keep an eye out because soon you’ll be seeing Rise’s awesome cover and I’ll drop some preorder links! Stay tuned ^_^

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A couple of days ago I was tagged by Snow Brooks, to do a quotes challenge. It works like this

 

Post on 3 consecutive days

Pick 1 or 3 quotes per day

Challenge 3 different bloggers per day

Thank the blogger who nominated you

Today is the final day, and the quote I share is a random one I found on Facebook. I’ll just leave it right here…

Isn’t it nice? What are some of your favorite quotes? Drop one in the comments!

I won’t be tagging anyone this time, but all those who want to participate feel free and have fun!

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A couple of days ago I was tagged by Snow Brooks, to do the quotes challenge. It works like this

Post on 3 consecutive days

Pick 1 or 3 quotes per day

Challenge 3 different bloggers per day

Thank the blogger who nominated you

Yesterday, I did Langston Hughes, because duh, of course. Today’s quote is from one of my favorite authors who I stalk online, waiting (im)patiently for her to write her next book.

I totally love Slice of Cherry, it’s a mashup of squicky Southern horror, no holds barred YA, and my humor soulmate (well, along with Sarah Rees Brennan, poly soulmate we’ll say). I also love how sexuality is treated very frankly, with none of the excessive moralizing I often would encounter in other books, especially with female main characters (bleh). I read both Slice of Cherry and Dia’s other book Bleeding Violet every year and reading her books will give you a little insight on why my writing is always so weird :p

Now, the three authors I’m tagging will be

Debbie

Kiran Oliver

Claudette Melanson

I’ll see you guys tomorrow with more quotes!

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A couple of days ago I was tagged by Snow Brooks, to do a quotes challenge. It works like this

 

Post on 3 consecutive days
Pick 1 or 3 quotes per day
Challenge 3 different bloggers per day
Thank the blogger who nominated you

Cool, no? Of course despite the fact that I have an envelope full of quotes I immediately drew a blank. And after flipping through my stash, I discovered my collection, scribbled on library receipts, napkins, and even those little clothes label tags that you’re supposed to rip off before wearing, is less inspirational rainbows and more morbid dreariness. Also, room descriptions, because I suck at describing anything to do with interior design.

So after thinking about it for a couple of days, I decided to go with quotes from the writers that really inspire the way I write.

First up,

I absolutely love the way Langston Hughes writes, not just his poetry, but his prose. If I could put together words, and descriptions, and just asdfghjkl, half as good as he does I would be so totally happy. Lyrically wise, he’s my writing bar. Currently, it’s far above my head but I’ll keep jumping till I get there.

Now, the three authors I’m tagging will be

Madhuri Blaylock

L. J. K. Oliva

Constance Burris

I’ll see you guys tomorrow with more quotes!

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Has anyone read The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury? If you haven’t, it came out last month and you really should read it. I got an ARC but now I really want it in hardcover so that it can look all nice and pretty on my shelf.

“There is only one thing more numerous than the stars,” I say, looking up to the heavens. “And that is the darkness that holds them.”

― Jessica Khoury, The Forbidden Wish

Speaking of bookshelves, I need another one, or at least to better organize the one I’ve got. I have about 15 books waiting to find their home with two more on the way. One of which is…

 

I read Sophie Campbell’s books back when she was indie and writing under the name Ross Campbell. I luuuuuurve her stuff, which also has served as hair inspiration as well as mild character inspiration. I can’t wait to compare the revamped edition to the original one. She’ll also be the first trans* comic artist that I’ve knowingly read. Her books are hella cool and diverse.

I’ve also noticed I’ve been reading less ebooks lately, mainly because I had a three month stint of reading badly written books, and Crabby Kayti was beginning to break out of her cage and go on a rant-page.

I think I’ll get back into it soon though, especially since I now have Here to Stay by Suanne Laqueur in my Kindle giving me come hither looks.

Do you have any series that you’ll pick up no matter what? Authors who’s words you absolutely love?

Speaking of lovely words, check out this:

Maybe it’s the use of evanescence or maybe it’s the fact that Madhuri writes some serious word porn and I get off on that, but I absolutely love this and you should check out her blog for more literary goodness.

And finally… still working on RISE. *Slowly slinks away from the computer and the Internet*

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Have you been lurking on this blog for a while? Wondering about my crazy randomness? My awkward humor? GIF overload? Reading the excerpts of NIKO and tempted to buy, only to find old balls of lint in your pockets?

Yep, your eyes do not deceive you! Run over to Amazon today and tomorrow to nab a copy of NIKO absolutely free!

But wait, there’s more.

Because I’m –enabling- generous, you can also get Ghost Hand, a squicky paranormal thriller by Ripley Patton, Season of the Witch by fellow Write Bitch, L. J. K Oliva,  and Alistair, a werewolf short story by Debbie Manber Kupfer, for, yep.

Free.

You can also nab, Awoken by fellow dystopian author Sarah Noffke. For free.

The rest of her series is on sale too, starting at 99 cents and slowly going back up to its normal price.

And, one more thing.

If you’re really into dystopia and cannot get enough, come join me at Band of Dystopian Authors and Fans as we celebrate 3000 members! It’s a day long event. I will be there from 4 pm to 4:30 pm EST today, but drop by anytime and be sure to participate in the grandprize contest and win $150.

Yep. $150.

That’s a lot of books.

Happy reading!

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