The blog of author Stacy Kingsley

Zombie Book Update

6/23/2015

I am reworking the formatting of my first two zombie books so now they are more accurate, like with page numbers and everything, thanks to the help of Jennifer Pinkley who actually got the page numbers to go on and fit properly. This means that my books now look like professional books. I opted not to put my name or the book title on any of the pages because I like to keep things simple. The third book ZOMBIE WASTELAND is still on schedule to be out in October, hopefully by the first week but I am not exactly sure yet. The fourth book is finally in process. I've got 4 chapters written but I am rewriting them now after getting some good advice from the authors at Phoenix Comic Con. Now for those of you worried I might not finish don't, I'm not rewriting everything I am just reworking things.

I'm also working on a free story to follow the release of the third book. I will be honoring a contest winner, Amanda Bretz, and will be using her name and likeness in the story. She won the chance to be mentioned in the book, the opportunity to be turned into a zombie and killed off gruesomely. The other winners of contests will be put in the last book as zombies and I will give them a shot out later.

I have several things scheduled coming up and am hoping for a few more. I am also going to try getting my book into a few stores on consignment. I will be updating appearances and signings as they come up, so far nothing is until October but there might be one opportunity in August and another in September that I can get into.

So exciting stuff. And fans, bloggers, strangers who read this, feel free to comment and feel free to ask questions. I love answering questions. They don't even have to be about zombies, they could be about how I keep my curly hair so bouncy (mousse, and only a little).

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No Free Books!

6/18/2015

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I enjoy being a writer. I love sharing my stories and I love hearing from people who have read and who want to read my books. I love that people pay for my books and willingly do so. I love it all.

There is one problem though. Friends and family.

I don't know why it is that some of a writer's friend and family asks to be given a free copy of their book. My book is my baby, I've given some away, but of course I'd rather you honor me and buy it. I had a friend once tell me about a friend of theirs who loved zombie stuff and did I have a copy of my book I could bring over for them. I said, "Yes, of course." I did not think I was taking a book over to give to someone I didn't know. I thought I would be paid for it. I wasn't, and I doubt it crossed this person's mind, or their zombie loving friend's mind, that they should pay me for my work.

Now don't get me wrong, I love that people want my book. I don't mind giving some of them away, but I'd rather it be my choice, not the demand of someone else.

I don't need people saying, "You should have just given me a copy," because we are close friends or family. I don't need people to make me feel guilty for not giving them a copy of the book I spent days, weeks, months, or years writing. If I ask you if you want a copy, then sure go ahead and take that free book. But don't ask me for a free copy, and don't assume you shouldn't pay for one.

In all honesty I would rather write you into a book or story than give you a free one. I'd rather share you with the world. I'm working on a short story for my series right now and one of the characters is a young woman who won a contest so her name is going to be used as a character, who of course becomes a zombie and dies horribly. That is what my fans want. To be a part of the process. To be IN the books. To be thanked in the acknowledgements. Free books are awesome, but don't expect it.

I don't ask you for free legal advice, or psychological counseling, or art, or interior design, or whatever your job is, so please don't ask me to provide you with my work for free.

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The Art of Writing - Rejection

6/9/2015

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Every author knows two things. The first is that writing, editing and getting critiques is hard. The second, rejection sucks and it hurts and no matter how many times it happens it feels like a little pinch of your heart is ripped out every time. However, I feel that the rejection also helps make authors some of the most resilient people in the world.

My first story OBSESSION has never been published. I submitted it several times way back in like the late '90's (yes, I might be dating myself but who cares). I received over 80 rejection letters. Another story I wrote IT TASTES LIKE SNAKE received over 150 rejection letters. Now, I don't think these are bad stories, I just think there is a time and a place for a story or book. Not every book or story is written or released at the right time.

Rejection hurts. It stings and the pain isn't one that just goes away. It stays and makes you question if the next story you write you should even attempt to submit. Of course, the answer is, if you think it's good enough then yes, yes you should submit it. There is no way to avoid rejection. Really, there isn't.

Writing is a personal experience, which is why rejection hurts.

It feels easier to fail than succeed. Yet, we keep writing.

So, all of you authors out there, all of you wanna be authors, all of you scared authors, and all of you still hiding in the shadows afraid to write a single word, just do it. Rejections comes with the territory. It never gets easier. You can have eighteen books published and still have that nineteenth book rejected.

So rejection, sucks doesn't it?

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New TV Shows

6/6/2015

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Summer is here and with the incoming heat there are also incoming television shows. I am pleased to say I love many of the shows I've been watching. The two I want to talk about today are WAYWARD PINES and THE WHISPERS. Both are sci-f-/horror related and I love, love, love them.

WAYWARD PINES I am still trying to figure out. A guy wakes up in a hospital, battered and bruised and he has to try to figure out what the heck is going on. People living there think that years have passed by, yet only a few months have passed by in the real world. There is no escape, and what lies beyond the fence might eat you. There are monsters everywhere, both human and nonhuman. People are executed because they remember their past. Life is strange in Wayward Pines.

I look forward to seeing where this show goes. Are the people living in Wayward Pines being protected from something, or someone? Are they being protected from themselves? Who sent them there? Very curious.

THE WHISPERS is premiering right now. Children are being told to do random things to their parents, bad things, and they believe they are playing a game. One child is already dead, on child has put her mother in the hospital and the mother may not live, another child is currently playing the game, and the viewer has no idea where this game might be heading. Is the purpose to kill parents for some reason? And what monster would want to see children killing their parents?

Mysteries abound in THE WHISPERS, and I'll be honest it is a little creepy. No one wants to believe that children can be corrupted to harm others, let alone kill, and the way these children are being talked to is super creepy. There are several times when I got chills and I can't wait for the next episode. In fact I wish I could watch all of them now!

I recommend both of these shows to anyone looking for something suspenseful, thrilling, and a little, or a lot creepy.

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Suicidal Turtles

6/4/2015

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I'm sorry that I haven't posted in a while. I hurt my ankle and was distracted. Then I moved into a brand new house. And I just got back from Phoenix Comic Con. The ankle is still a little swollen and it hurts to try to go down stairs. The house is a work in progress, I'm looking for furniture now since I left it all behind. And Phoenix Comic Con was as amazing as always. I'm not here to talk about that though, I might talk about it in a later post next week. Today I am here to talk about suicidal turtles.

As I drove down the national highways I found that there were quite a few dead animals on the side of the road. There were foxes, birds, armadillos, a deer, dogs, and many other animals that I couldn't figure out what they were because they were just too squished, or in too many pieces. This post, this post is about the suicidal turtles I saw for a long stretch in Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas.

Turtles should know they can't cross a freeway. They aren't fast enough. Yet, they try to go out there and cross in search of a mate, or they go out to commit suicidal. I believe a lot of them are out there, sick of their turtle lives, sick of swimming in muck, sick of the designs on their awesome shells, wanting more but wanting nothing at all. They wait as some truck or car, not motorcycle comes rumbling by. Then they take that one step, the one that tempts that asshole person to swerve just to kill them. The turtles hope that it is fast, that their shell gets run over and crushed, that they die in an instant and not in hours.

I don't know what is so bad about being a turtle that causes them to go out and tempt fate. I was saddened by seeing so many broken and crushed turtle shells. It frustrated me that there were so many assholes that took advantage of the depressed turtles and swerved to purposefully hit them. There should be an 800 number for suicidal turtles. There should be a suicide hotline for turtles with signs on the side of the highway. Turtle suicides should be prevented. Turtles are important too.

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Zombie Book Update

No Free Books!

The Art of Writing - Rejection

New TV Shows

Suicidal Turtles

Stacy Kingsley

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