The dragon stalked his prey, watching the puny humans walk by the window of their castle. His senses heightened, and all he heard was the slow pulse of his heartbeat and the chirping of nearby crickets. The dragon slinked into his surroundings, stealthily drawing closer to his target. The humans never saw the attack coming. The dragon sprang from his hiding place and devoured his meal. The chirping from the crickets instantly ceased. The quick action caught the humans by surprise, causing the queen to jump from the sudden movement. Continue reading
Appreciate a Dragon Day
Filed under Fiction
Fun Size: A Sample Anthology Cover Reveal
Good news: today will be the start of a new series! Leading up to the release of the Fun Size Anthology, I will be posting story teasers each week so you can see what to expect from this great collection, and it shall be called Fun Size Fridays! We’ve already had some good cover teasers building up to today’s full reveal, so let’s check it out! Continue reading
Filed under Fiction, Fun Size Friday, Projects
Author Spotlight: Ben Oneal
Today’s spotlight shines on another author that I’ve been fortunate enough to share several signing events with, and have gotten to know him a little more each time. I’ve had one of his books, Die Laughing, in my TBR pile for over two years, and I’m glad to report that I was finally able to jump into it. It’s been a great read and it’s truly one of those books that are hard to put down! Be on the lookout for a review in the very near future. With that, let’s get to the good part of this post already!
Filed under Author Spotlight
2020 Teaser: Fun Size Edition
Last week I teased some cover art for the upcoming Fun Size Anthology. In case you missed it, there was a minimal amount revealed, hence the term “teaser.”
Well, now that the call for submissions has officially closed, how about another look on this New Years Day, with a little more revealed? Continue reading
The CKFiction Year in Review
As I shared about a month ago, I was very intentional this year about making some improvements and advances with my writing career. Given the stats I’ve achieved on my site for this year, I’m excited for things to come. Let’s take a look at some raw numbers.
In the past 12 months I’ve posted 54 articles (including this one), including 6 features on other writers, 4 book reviews, 4 spotlights on resources in the writing community, 4 posts in my ongoing Behind the Scenes series, 12 Blogumentary articles, 2 CKFiction Dictionary posts, 4 Literary Listening playlists, 2 Literary Locations, 4 short stories and poems, and rounded out the total with 12 miscellaneous posts.
Once I started seeing the response I was getting from regularly posting content, I quietly set a goal for my site for the year. Continue reading
Filed under Uncategorized
My Profile as a Writer
People have countless ideas of what it means to be a writer. Usually they range anywhere from romanticizing about a cabin writing retreat in the woods, to working three jobs, but still starving and struggling to make ends meet. I’m somewhere in the middle. I have spent time writing at a nice lake cottage and tropical resorts, but I also do have a “real job” during the day to keep my family sustained financially, because without that, I would absolutely be starving.
As with most aspects of my life, I tend to blur the lines and complicate typical, preconceived notions. Continue reading
Filed under Uncategorized
Summertime: Sunshine, Fireworks, and Grilling
“Here. Hold my drink real quick,” I said to my friend, passing the cup to him. He stashed it under his feet, then we kicked back and settled in to our seats. We had spent the majority of the day tipping back some ice cold refreshments, and we were both feeling pretty good. We leaned our heads back and soaked up the sun. We absorbed the sights, sounds, and smells. The bright, afternoon sunshine assaulted our eyes through our sunglasses. Gunpowder from fireworks wafted through the air after the deafening booms of their detonation.
Summer was upon us, and I could smell all the meats on the grill. Pork, bacon specifically, flooded my nasal passages. The neighborhood was abuzz with activity, and most people didn’t seem to notice or care about our shenanigans as they were too preoccupied with their own. Inexplicably, the bacon smell intensified as a new guest to the party approached. Continue reading
Filed under Fiction
Exploring the Writing Community: Fae Corps Publishing
Not too long ago, I was featured with an interview with Fae Corps Publishing. In the interest of sharing resources with the writing community, I asked if I could repay the favor, and they were gracious enough to participate! Their mission regarding the indie community is right in line with my own, so without further adieu, let’s learn more about this great independent writing resource.
From their facebook page:
Fae Corps Publishing was created by two sisters, Patti Harris and Cyndi Pilcher. We are both Indie Authors and Artists and wanted to help others been seen.It isn’t easy being an Indie. We all work our buns off to make sure our work is perfect before we get it into the hands of our fans. We do all the legwork once our work is done. All the marketing, the sales, setting up pages/websites, etc is all on us.SO, Patti and I decided to create a blog to showcase Indie Authors and Artists. We will share your work, websites, and anything else you’d like us to get out there!Later this Summer, we will be publishing our first anthology, Under the Mists with six amazing Indie Authors and we are hoping to do more, so make sure you head over to our blog, fill out one (or both) of the questionnaires, and email your answers to us so we can get your work out there!Let’s work together to get the Indie community more exposure and help build each other up!~Keep on Creating~Cyndi and PattiOwners, Fae Corps Publishing
Filed under Writing Resource
Blogumentary: Peer Associations
Let me start by saying this: Self-publishing is an art form. Sure, writing is a literal form of art, but that’s not what I’m talking about here. The process of self-publishing and the magic that goes into it is an art form all unto itself. Traditionally published writers have the luxury of having agents, editors, and publishing companies that handle everything from cover design to marketing. The writer is able to focus on one thing – the writing. As a self-published author, I’m solely responsible for everyone of those aspects I just mentioned.
Having said that, while I am solely responsible for completing each of those things, that hardly means I do it alone. Luckily, I’ve been able to create a hell of a support system who have been crucial in my publishing career, and have helped me put out as polished of a finished product as possible. Continue reading
Filed under Blogumentary
Book Review: Uncertain Terms
Here we go, folks. My review of Patrick J. O’Brian‘s latest offering, Uncertain Terms. Get to know a little more about this great book below, then pick up your copy at the link I just included!
***Mild spoilers below***
Michael Brogan was a good cop, unlike the rest of his family. He moved halfway across the country, from Chicago to Boston, to distance himself from their mistakes and reputations. Or so he thought. His world all comes crashing down one afternoon when he wakes up in a cell while the local news runs the story of his murder. Now it’s up to him to atone for his family’s transgressions. He’s introduced to an unknown agency that likes to keep secrets and isn’t everything they lead on to be. However, through working with them and their seemingly endless resources, he’s able to do some good work and have a positive impact on the world around him, even if nobody knows it’s him. Continue reading
Filed under Book reviews
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