Lucky 7 Blog Hop

So there's another Blog Hop going around, and this one seems fun, so I decided to take Amanda Staley's advice and steal it. ;)

The Rules: 

Go to page 7 or 77 in your current WIP (work in progress).
Go to line 7 on the page.
Post on your blog the next 7 sentences or 7 lines.

You can choose between page 7 or 77. 

K so here's an excerpt from my first Scifi novel, beginning on page 7, line 7. I have the perfect illustration to go with it, but illustrations are still top secret. Enjoy!

Chapter One, Page 7, lines 7-14: 

"Don't let them take you!" The frazzled woman pleaded as she smacked the bars of her cell with a trembling hand. Something in her bloodshot eyes told Amaya to run. The urgency in them was almost unbearable. That urgency quickly disappeared as her body jolted and fell to the floor. 

"I told you that one belonged in the asylum ward." The sign language using man put his taser back in the pocket of his unzipped coat, which barely fit his chubby body. Amaya wished she had hands so she could grab the taser from him and escape. But she didn't, and wishing wouldn't make it so. It was up to her eccentric mind and scrawny legs. 

There you have it! The longest excerpt I have shared to date. I hope you'll read the whole book when it gets published (hopefully soon).

Be the lightning, 

Kylie Jude. 

}i{ 

My First Book Review - Evolution: Angel

"I'm probably the only writer on the planet that doesn't like to read books. 

It's not that I don't want to, I just don't have the patience."

I can't even count the number of times I've said something to that effect. I always have something to work on (whether it's my own novels, artwork, music or videos) and I'm either too busy to read, or if I do try to read, I get bored & restless after a few minutes & stop. It's not that I don't love the books I try to read, it's just books in general. I still have books from friends that I have started & fully intend to finish one day, but I just haven't yet. 

The statement at the beginning of this blog used to be true, but I can no longer use it. Because when Starla Huchton held a contest on Twitter for someone to win her book Evolution: Angel, & I won said contest, I finally found a book I could stick with. Was it because it was easy to read? Was it because of the strong characters & believable relationships? Was it the super hero theme? Or was it just good timing? Maybe it was all of the above, but either way, I suddenly found myself reading numerous chapters at a time, unable to stop for the fear I might miss something. I found myself reading every chance I got, sneaking off whenever I had a free moment to delve back into the world Starla had created. I even found myself thinking about the book while doing other things, & wondering what would happen next, impatient until I could finally read again.

What happened to me? I had suddenly gone from being someone who hates to read, to being someone practically obsessed with a book. Honestly I think Starla is just that good. Her use of witty dialogue & realistic character flaws, combined with her "just enough" descriptions that are long enough to get a mental image but not so descriptive that I want to stop reading (which has happened before) combined with the clever mixture of romance, action, & cliffhangers - all of these things kept me hooked until the very last page. That's right. I finally finished a book. That makes Evolution: Angel my first.

They say you never forget your first, & I certainly won't be forgetting this book. I'm excited to read the next book in the series, & I hope you will want to read it too. I would also love to see the series made into movies, as every scene and character action played out in my mind just like a movie, and the powers that the characters display make for some really cool visuals that would look epic on screen. I'm just saying. ;)

If I have to pick one thing I didn't love about this book, it would be that there was too much sex. But that's just a personal preference. I tend to avoid sex in my own novels unless it's necessary, because I feel like it doesn't advance the plot. BUT that's just me, & in Starla's novel, often times the sex DOES actually advance the plot (at least the romance aspect) & there is definitely enough action and mystery and other stuff to balance out the sex. So if you like both romance and action, this book is definitely for you. Be warned though, the book does have some sex as well as some graphic language. Now no one can say I didn't warn them ;)

Overall, I was very impressed by this book, and very attached to the characters and the plot. If it can hold MY attention, it must be good. Right? So take my advice and see for yourself. You won't regret it!

I leave you with some of my favorite quotes from the novel:

Evolution: Angel by Starla Huchton

Evolution: Angel by Starla Huchton

Evolution: Angel by Starla Huchton

There you have it! Buy the book here to read more. Hopefully this is the first of many books I'll read. Thank you, Starla, for starting me on the path of a writer that also happens to read books, and for writing a wonderful book that I will never forget. :)

Be the lightning,
Kylie Kerosene.

}i{

Blog Hop: The Writing Process.

If you happen to have any questions about the extremely secretive Science Fiction series I've been working on, some of those questions are about to be answered... Sort of. ;)

This is my very first Blog Hop! I was tagged by a fellow writer from Google+ named Emma Lindhagen in this blog. Thanks Emma! I love answering questions, especially about my passions, so I'll never turn down something like this. :)

Blog Hop Rules:  

Answer the four questions below, link back to the person who invited you, and link to the people who will be posting the following Monday.

1. What am I working on? 

I recently finished draft 8 of my very first novel, the first in a Science Fiction series of graphic novels (sort of). So right now I'm working on draft 9, and on getting draft 8 ready for my beta readers. Finishing this book is taking a lot longer than I thought it would, but it's getting there! And I'm already working on some illustrations for the next novel in the series, so that I can have those out of the way and save lots of time. Always something in the works for me, and not just writing related, but that's what I'm working on writing-wise right now. 

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Well, first of all, the fact that my novels have illustrations is pretty different. It's not a comic book, and I'm not sure it can even be classified as a graphic novel. It's a novel, with illustrations included every now and then. Also, it's more than just Science Fiction (which will be more apparent once the second book comes out). It could also be classified as Romance (Although there isn't much of that ewey gewey sex stuff in it, it is romantic. It's been referred to as "Twilight for robots" if that tells you anything, LOL); Young Adult (which I guess is more of a target audience than a genre, although it's not just for young people - I like to think there's something in it for everyone); and maybe even Horror (lots of gore in both the novels and the illustrations - not so much that it's hard to read, I hope, but just enough to turn the stomach a bit). But I suppose lots of books do that... I think... Which reminds me, I'm probably the only writer on the planet that doesn't like to read books. It's not that I don't want to, I just don't have the patience. Too much going on in my head. So, that probably makes my novels different from writers who do read (hopefully in a good way, but we'll see). 

3. Why do I write what I write?

Because the writing gods demand it, and would probably drive me completely insane if I didn't write what I write. Also, this isn't just a hobby for me - it is my purpose. It feels good to finally be able to say that with confidence.  If I do nothing else before I die, I want my books to be read. Not because I want money or fame, but because I know they will change people. That is the real purpose of my novels. Each of them has a message for specific people. People with a purpose, like me. I want to ignite a generation of dreamers and thinkers, of warriors and peace-keepers. I want to change the world in some small way... But doesn't everyone? (I hope that's the case anyway) 

4. How does your writing process work?

3 words: Music, music, MUSIC. It is what inspires the stories in my novels, it is what keeps me writing when I feel like quitting, and it is what reminds me that this is my purpose. Even as I write this blog, "Like A Ray" by Ki: Theory is blasting in my ears. It's the song that inspired a huge event in my novel (which was also forged in the fires of music from LIVE, Ours, Coldplay, M83, and especially 30 Seconds To Mars, who's music has inspired over half of this trilogy). The very first thing I do when a novel idea comes to me is make a playlist of the music that inspired it, and listen to it while I write (and illustrate). More on my writing process can be found in this guest blog I wrote for a friend a while back, in which I also give writing advice (to the best of my current noob-ability, LOL). 

Well, there you have it. My first Blog Hop. :)

I now direct you to some awesome writer friends from Twitter. 

R. James Stevens (author of Clarity), and

Andrew Baker (author of H.C. To Light State), 
who also has a cool fanboy profile here.

Both these guys are great writers, as well as great friends who have been so supportive. They really are awesome, and I can't wait to read their answers to these questions next week! I hope you'll check out their blogs and read them too ;) 

}i{

Update.

Fair Warning: This blog is more personal than most. It's sort of how I worked through these emotions and found my way back to writer sanity... Sort of... Anyway, UPDATE.

So I know I haven't blogged in a while, but I've been so busy lately.

Finishing my novel.

That's right! ...Sort of. 

I'll probably have to do some more editing after my beta readers hit me with their best shot, but for now, it feels pretty final. 

Here are a couple posts from Twitter in case you missed them:

I've been listening to music (such as "Like A Ray" by Ki: Theory and "Recover" by Chvrches), and just soaking it in. This feeling of finality. This joy and pride and excitement and euphoria running through me like a surge of electricity... Could be partly from the music, but it's definitely related to the novel. I know that. It might sound crazy, but I rarely work on this novel without crying tears of joy, for some reason. So, that's a good sign... Right? 

(Also, it seems my music taste has changed and/or expanded through writing this novel, but that's another story for another blog)...

 Even though it isn't over, and I'm still not published (probably won't be for a while yet),  it feels like I'm on the edge of a cliff, about to jump. I feel like once I jump, I just might fly, but not knowing what's next makes it feel like I could fall too.

I'm sure seasoned authors would agree that finishing that first novel is scary. But then they would probably tell me that it's also worth it. They would probably tell me that even though I can't see through the fog of uncertainty in front of me, I just need to jump, and hope for the best. because, like I said in this guest blog, "Finish that book, get it out there, and spread your wings. It's the only way to know if you can fly."

So, with both excitement and fear gripping my racing heart, I'm taking my own advice and the advice of my fellow writers, and jumping blindly off of this cliff that is the threshold between the present and the future. If you don't hear from me, I didn't make it...

LOL, JK, you'll hear from me.

Hopefully soon. ;)