Authors, Kai Strand & LA Dragoni

My first book, The Weaver , was published in December of 2010. Almost five years later I'm finally revealing my logo. What took so long? Author branding is harder than it looks. Well maybe just for me. But I've been struggling to find a brand that would cover the variety of books I have published, while leaving room for whatever might come. Though my current works are all fiction, they span readers' ages from five to eighty-five (honestly I don't know the top age for young adult readers.) So it can't be too juvenile or too mature. My books can be categorized as speculative fiction, fantasy, contemporary, romance, and suspense. I couldn't think of anything that represented fiction beyond a book or a quill and I didn't want either of those. One thought I kept coming back to is the emotion I try to put into my writing. Regardless of the age of the target audience I try to tap into the emotions the characters feel due to whatever their circumstances are in t...

I rarely step away from posting about writing—this being my author blog and all—but lately there has been a perfect storm of instances that has really made me think about our planet. Intriguing articles about fossil finds, which lead me to look up details about that period or that geographic area. Swarms of earthquakes all up and down the west coast, which spurs me to research volcanic activity through the ages. Articles on how fracking is a national security threat. All of these things make me think! It’s scary – me thinking, that is. And I can’t help myself. Sometimes I have to share my thoughts with you good people. It’s like if I ‘say it aloud’ I can get on to new, less consuming thoughts. Right now my mind won’t leave the immense power of our planet vs. the miniscule presence that is humanity. Recently they found an enormous shark fossil in Texas. The prehistoric mega-shark swam around in a sea that covered what is now Texas and split the U.S and Canada into two separate land...

We've been cleaning the garage, which means now our house is a mess. It's fun to walk down memory lane as I stumble upon pictures from when the kids were young or my middle school yearbooks. But one of the most surprising finds of all are my two favorite picture books from my childhood. Though I remember asking my mom for them (repeatedly - poor Mom) I don't remember actually taking possession of them, so I thought they were gone forever. I'm so excited I thought I'd share them with you. They're so unique. Both are Hans Christian Andersen stories. The Little Mermaid and The Little Tin Soldier. They were published by Golden Press in 1966, meaning they'll turn 50 years old next year. The unique illustrations were done by Shiba Productions of Japan. I was completely enamored by these books when I was young and it hasn't changed. The covers have a unique holographic 3D image. The pages of the books were thick cardboard (8 x 12 board books) Though there w...

Layla’s world tumbles out of control when she discovers the truth of her parentage and realizes the Prophecy—the one she upended her entire life to defend—is incomplete. When her new friends share the entire Prophecy, the revelations contained within it alter her destiny and challenge everything she and Wil believe in. Now, she must confront the Outlander queen to save the Ethereal kingdom while grappling with this new reality. Tortured and imprisoned, Nash accepts his fate and offers the First Ones the one thing he has left to give: his life. In a desperate attempt to save the people he loves most, he surrenders himself to the Outlander queen and a destiny darker than he could have ever dreamed possible. Wil, tormented by the consequences of his choices, realizes he may never be able to uphold his end of the Prophecy. His mistake casts a deep, foreboding shadow over his kingdom and those he loves, while its ripples threaten to shatter both the Prophecy and everything he a...

I remember reading Amityville Horror. I think I was about 12 years old and I was home alone a lot. I’d get so wrapped up in the book I wouldn’t notice the sun had set until I look up and found myself completely surrounded by black picture windows. I was terrified that the red pig eyes would appear, so I’d close my eyes and feel my way around the room to draw all the curtains closed – not opening my eyes until I was sure I wouldn’t see any black window surfaces. It’s hard to scare me like that anymore. I think life experiences jade us enough that we are less prone to fears fueled by imagination, but I still get butterflies if I have to go out into the dark garage alone at night, or if I hear an unexplained noise scratch up against the house. *Shiver* What scares you? Makes your heart pound so that it’s hard to hear? Freezes you in place? To celebrate Halloween, I’m giving away two books again this month. YAY! First the winner will receive a copy of Ghost Touch by the super ...

This business allows me to meet some really great people. Among them is young adult fantasy author, Eric Price. I'm excited because we are approaching release time for the second book in Eric's Saga of the Wizards series. Today I'm happy to help Eric show off the awesome cover as well as share an excerpt from the book. Eric - take it away! *** My favorite cover artist in the world is C. K. Volnek for two reasons. First, her covers are amazing: check them out here . Second, she designed the cover for my first two books with Muse it Up Publishing. Blurb: The award winning Unveiling the Wizards’ Shroud (CLC’s Best First Novel 2014) chronicled Yara, Owen, and Cedric’s quest to revive King Kendrick from a dark, magical spell. After the adventure to save King Kendrick, for Yara, everyday life has grown monotonous. The dull work of learning her father’s blacksmithing trade, and the pressure from her parents to decide what she plans on doing with her life, has her nerves...

Visit Alex Cavanaugh to find out more Purpose:  To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Our co-hosts for October are: TB Markinson  https://tbmarkinson.wordpress.com/   Tamara Narayan     http://www.tamaranarayan.com/    Eva E. Solar     http://lilicasplace.com/    Shannon Lawrence      http://thewarriormuse.blogspot.com/ Stephanie Faris    http://stephie5741.blogspot.com/    After you've left a kernel of wisdom for me in the comment section, please visit the hosts to show your support. My post: I recently started writing a new book. I've been mulling the idea over for a while and I'm pretty excited to dive in...except when it's actually time to dive in, then I se...