Kendal Waller's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing"
This just in....
Just returned home from a fun weekend in Nashville, TN. The talent of artists every where you turn in Nashville is staggering. The variety of fame each has reached is too. Taylor Swift was performing at the Brigestone Arena for three nights and the streets were literally lined with 18 wheelers all dedicated to her show. I am happy for Taylor Swift and think she's probably a pretty decent sort, however, it is the guys that play night after night in the honky tonks, putting their hearts on the stage hoping to get the attention of the right person at the right time that has my wheels turning. Looking forward to seeing some of these folks makin' a killin' one day and being able to say, I met them at Tootsie's and they were so cool! I knew they could do it. Perhaps one day they'll pick up one of my books and say, this is that crazy chick that we had so much fun playing for at Tootsie's that afternoon... Hey you never know...
Just a little tease from what I'm writing now...
He must have heard me coming up the stairs because he didn‘t seem surprised. The beer was to his lips, his eyes on me. Finally, he lowered his drink and spoke. “Comin’ or going Mackenzie?”
“Um . . . Going.”
“What ‘cha got there?” he nodded to the duffle in my hand.
“Some stuff for Timber. He asked me to come get it for him. I didn’t expect you’d be here.”
He smirked and checked me out, top to toe. “Bet not.”
“Well, um . . . I should go.”
“Don’t rush off on my account. Where is the big man anyway?”
“I’m not sure, a jobsite somewhere.”
He nodded, taking another pull from his beer. As he lowered it back to the counter he asked, “Wanna beer?”
“No, I should go.”
“You don’t have to worry about me, Mack. Stay. Have a beer. Tell me what the hell happened to your face.”
Oh shit, I forgot about my face. “I hurt myself trying to fix some of the round pen fencing.”
He laughed out loud and wiped a hand across his face. “That’s totally fuckin lame. Tell me the truth, Jesse.”
I laughed back, I couldn’t help it. “That is the fuckin truth you moron.”
“Whew, listen to you and your dirty mouth. You put that mouth on my brother?”
“Stop, Sawyer.”
He laughed again and he looked incredible doing it. He was very big, at least six and a half feet. Dark with long, dark, straight hair, strong bone structure and deeply set dark eyes that seemed to see right through me. His broad chest and powerful arms were on display in the old worn out Triumph tee shirt. He gave off a menacing air but I didn’t feel in jeopardy. Actually with all that was going on I was even more intrigued with him than I normally would be; probably.
“Why were you such a jerk to me the other night?” I changed my stance to try to appear more confident.
“What the hell?”
“Don’t act like you don’t know. You didn’t even speak, acted like you didn’t know me, or you were mad I was here.”
“The Farmer’s daughter? Are you kidding, I’d know you anywhere Jesse Mackenzie. Though you look a shit load better than you did when we were kids.” His eyes slid down my body again and that did make me extremely uncomfortable.
“Okay, well on that note, I’m going to go.”
“I make you uneasy?”
“Yes.”
He moved around the counter so he was standing directly in front of me. “What are you doing with my brother?”
“What do you mean?”
“Is he your boyfriend?”
“No, I mean, I . . . I’m not sure, we haven’t talked about it or gotten that far.”
“You sleeping with him?”
“That’s none of your business.”
He smirked and took another step toward me, “That’s a no.”
I swallowed and had to look up at him, he was so close. “No. That’s not your business.”
He reached out like he was going to touch my face and I quickly stepped back. He grinned, “What Jesse?”
“Don’t Sawyer.”
“You wanted to leave, you’d be gone already.”
“I’m leaving now.”
“Okay.”
“Bye, Sawyer.” I turned to leave when he grabbed my arm to stop me.
“Don’t be afraid of me, Jesse. I’m not what he’ll tell you I am.”
My mouth went instantly dry and my arm stung where he held onto it, I was dumbfounded and frozen where I stood.
“I don’t know what you know. I don’t know what you’ve heard or what he’s told you but keep that in mind. You want to know me, you find me.” He was still holding my arm as he spoke to me.
“Why does it matter what I think, Sawyer?” I absolutely did not like the sensation I was getting from the hold he had on me, how close he was standing and how all of that was affecting my heart rate.
He searched my face for a moment and then with a smirk he used to try to shadow the seriousness of the last minute, he quirked his eyebrows and said, “Always thought I’d be the one that would have a shot with the Farmer’s daughter.”
I yanked my arm from his hold and started toward the door, “He hasn’t told me anything about you Sawyer, but you just let me know without any doubt that you’re a jerk.”
“Um . . . Going.”
“What ‘cha got there?” he nodded to the duffle in my hand.
“Some stuff for Timber. He asked me to come get it for him. I didn’t expect you’d be here.”
He smirked and checked me out, top to toe. “Bet not.”
“Well, um . . . I should go.”
“Don’t rush off on my account. Where is the big man anyway?”
“I’m not sure, a jobsite somewhere.”
He nodded, taking another pull from his beer. As he lowered it back to the counter he asked, “Wanna beer?”
“No, I should go.”
“You don’t have to worry about me, Mack. Stay. Have a beer. Tell me what the hell happened to your face.”
Oh shit, I forgot about my face. “I hurt myself trying to fix some of the round pen fencing.”
He laughed out loud and wiped a hand across his face. “That’s totally fuckin lame. Tell me the truth, Jesse.”
I laughed back, I couldn’t help it. “That is the fuckin truth you moron.”
“Whew, listen to you and your dirty mouth. You put that mouth on my brother?”
“Stop, Sawyer.”
He laughed again and he looked incredible doing it. He was very big, at least six and a half feet. Dark with long, dark, straight hair, strong bone structure and deeply set dark eyes that seemed to see right through me. His broad chest and powerful arms were on display in the old worn out Triumph tee shirt. He gave off a menacing air but I didn’t feel in jeopardy. Actually with all that was going on I was even more intrigued with him than I normally would be; probably.
“Why were you such a jerk to me the other night?” I changed my stance to try to appear more confident.
“What the hell?”
“Don’t act like you don’t know. You didn’t even speak, acted like you didn’t know me, or you were mad I was here.”
“The Farmer’s daughter? Are you kidding, I’d know you anywhere Jesse Mackenzie. Though you look a shit load better than you did when we were kids.” His eyes slid down my body again and that did make me extremely uncomfortable.
“Okay, well on that note, I’m going to go.”
“I make you uneasy?”
“Yes.”
He moved around the counter so he was standing directly in front of me. “What are you doing with my brother?”
“What do you mean?”
“Is he your boyfriend?”
“No, I mean, I . . . I’m not sure, we haven’t talked about it or gotten that far.”
“You sleeping with him?”
“That’s none of your business.”
He smirked and took another step toward me, “That’s a no.”
I swallowed and had to look up at him, he was so close. “No. That’s not your business.”
He reached out like he was going to touch my face and I quickly stepped back. He grinned, “What Jesse?”
“Don’t Sawyer.”
“You wanted to leave, you’d be gone already.”
“I’m leaving now.”
“Okay.”
“Bye, Sawyer.” I turned to leave when he grabbed my arm to stop me.
“Don’t be afraid of me, Jesse. I’m not what he’ll tell you I am.”
My mouth went instantly dry and my arm stung where he held onto it, I was dumbfounded and frozen where I stood.
“I don’t know what you know. I don’t know what you’ve heard or what he’s told you but keep that in mind. You want to know me, you find me.” He was still holding my arm as he spoke to me.
“Why does it matter what I think, Sawyer?” I absolutely did not like the sensation I was getting from the hold he had on me, how close he was standing and how all of that was affecting my heart rate.
He searched my face for a moment and then with a smirk he used to try to shadow the seriousness of the last minute, he quirked his eyebrows and said, “Always thought I’d be the one that would have a shot with the Farmer’s daughter.”
I yanked my arm from his hold and started toward the door, “He hasn’t told me anything about you Sawyer, but you just let me know without any doubt that you’re a jerk.”
Scheduling a release date?
So I'm diligently working on the final edits of my next Novel. In doing so I begin to wonder about the cover reveal, the release date announcements and such that so many authors are able to use through fabulous bloggers to build hype.
In my humble opinion, the indie author can get no where with out the love and support of a few great bloggers. I am working hard to establish those relationships with the bloggers I truly believe in and hoping to attract the attention of the ones that at this time I feel I'm just to small for. . . to those who have embraced me and push me to do better - there are no words. If I can help you in some small way as you have me, please don't hesitate to tell me how.
The blogger / author relationship is a unique one. We stay busy writing but we can't comprehend how bombarded they must be with every author who believes their book could be the next big thing. How do you solicit yourself to get the attention? How do you make yourself appealing to them in a way that says, me next please? I'm working on trying to figure that out too.
Whitney Martin took me on earlier this year and because of her dedication to me I'd like to help her in any way I can. Maybe oneday I'll be the book, she'll be the blogger and together we will hit the stars!
Good luck to every indie author who thinks - why am I doing this again? You do it because you must . . . don't stop, keep believing, tell your story, and push, and push, and push.
And now I'm stepping off the soap box and getting another cup of coffee.....
In my humble opinion, the indie author can get no where with out the love and support of a few great bloggers. I am working hard to establish those relationships with the bloggers I truly believe in and hoping to attract the attention of the ones that at this time I feel I'm just to small for. . . to those who have embraced me and push me to do better - there are no words. If I can help you in some small way as you have me, please don't hesitate to tell me how.
The blogger / author relationship is a unique one. We stay busy writing but we can't comprehend how bombarded they must be with every author who believes their book could be the next big thing. How do you solicit yourself to get the attention? How do you make yourself appealing to them in a way that says, me next please? I'm working on trying to figure that out too.
Whitney Martin took me on earlier this year and because of her dedication to me I'd like to help her in any way I can. Maybe oneday I'll be the book, she'll be the blogger and together we will hit the stars!
Good luck to every indie author who thinks - why am I doing this again? You do it because you must . . . don't stop, keep believing, tell your story, and push, and push, and push.
And now I'm stepping off the soap box and getting another cup of coffee.....
