Ask The Author (the audiobook edition)

Laura asks:

Are you planning to have an audible version of Terris? I'm excited to read it - and am reading / listening to the first two books right now!

Well, Laura, as much as I do hate to disappoint my fans, the answer to this question is no.  And now the super fun explanation as to why.

So, I got the AMAZING Em Eldridge to narrate my books in some kind of cosmic blessing that I still don't quite understand.  I had signed up with ACX (which is like the indie author's marketplace for finding a narrator/producer for an audiobook).  She did the first book and the second and Audible even kicked in like $2500 extra for her.

It used to be that an author and a narrator could make an agreement that they'd make the book together and share like... 70% of the profits, I think?  Then ACX decided to slap both the creators in the face and knock that down to an absurd 25%.  So I ditched ACX and never looked back.

Now virtually every good narrator on ACX is payment only (which is how it should be, since they got royally screwed over) and believe it or not, I don't have a cool $3000 lying around my house, waiting to be spent on audiobooks.  I've got two kids, and a house payment... there are plenty of other places for that money to go!

I considered a kickstarter at one point.  I really want you guys to have yourselves an audiobook if you want one, but I'm not sure I even have the audience to fund the thing.  I'm no Amanda Hocking.  So, Laura... I'm sorry to say that the audiobook isn't happening.  Wish I had a better answer. :(


Happy Reading (errrr... listening)!

*Insert Picture Of Head Hitting Desk Here*

The first two weeks of November have been JAMMMMMM packed, because it is that nano time of year and I decided that this would be the perfect time for me to get myself started on Ignis.  Last year I did a side project (that I'm still currently revising) and even though I do have another side project about 1/2 way planned, I wanted to get right back into all the Five Tribes stuff this year.

Originally, when I started this, I gave myself one year apiece for these suckers.  That was gonna be 5 books in 5 years.  But... yeah, I keep getting caught up in other things: books, plot bunnies, LIFE.  And well, I failed utterly.

But we're getting close to the end here, folks and this book number 4 is gonna be a DOOZY.  Like, I've been wanting to write this particular book since the very beginning of the series and pretty much every tiny seemingly insignificant detail you may or may not have noticed over the course of the books so far will be brought back into play for this book.  Did you notice perhaps a sword or a figurine or a character and thought, "Why in the heck did she talk about that only to drop it and never bring it up again?"  Well, all your questions will be answered in this book and then some.

Of course, me being me, I will only end with more annoying questions.  Because there is still one more book to be written after this one.

So far, thanks to the awesomeness that is nano, I have written about 30,000 words (about a quarter of the book, if you can believe it.)  So, by the time nano is over, I hope to have almost half of the book finished (in draft form).  My estimate for the book this time around is about 120k.  That's modest by Kate standards, but don't worry.  This book will be action packed!

So yeah, by the time nano is over, I'll have Nikka & Zyander 2/3rds of the way done.  My plan has been to only write those two perspectives for this book and then work on Luka.  If you finished Terris, you already know why I would write that perspective completely separate from the other two.  If you haven't read Terris, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

So there you go.

In summary: 30k and 9 chapters into Ignis.  Will be almost halfway done with the book by the time nano finishes.  Halfway done with my final edit for the side project and halfway done with the planning phase for the OTHER side project.

And somehow I'm still supposed to get all the other crap in my life completed.  Which is why I'm regularly up at 4:30 in the am, guys.

Happy Reading!

Limbo Land

Just posting that title sounds like I'm at some new spot in Disneyland or something.  "Welcome To Limbo Land, Happiest Place On Earth!"  Except it's not if you're an overachiever like me.

So you know, I've crossed all the things off my list:

1. Finished last Terris draft and sent to my proofreader (Who will be done literally any second now. Eep!)
2. Set up everything online to publish Terris
3. Finished Second to last draft of WIP and am waiting for feedback
4. Write draft of query letter for WIP
5. Write draft of synopsis for WIP
6. Compile comprehensive list of agents for said querying
7. Finish Bellarke Fanfic

So yeah, I'm in a holding pattern.  Everything I've been working on is in someone else's hands right now and I'm stuck here twiddling my thumbs, waiting. Perfect time for a blog entry, right?

Let's talk about a few of those list things.  I didn't add that I'm outlining for the next Five Tribes book.  I can even tell you its name, because when you publish your own stories, you don't have to call things "untitled" if you have an actual title.  Which I've had for like a year.  The next book is Ignis, of course, because of the tribe in which it's based.

That's right, Astra Cida (after which this blog is secondarily named) is coming up after Terris and Nikka is supposed to be hanging out with the Ignis during that time of year.  I won't spoil anything, but it's never that simple.  :)

I'm also outlining for the 5th (and final) book, because these two last book are going to be tightly entwined, and for the sake of continuity, it would be helpful to make sure everything is connected properly.  Seriously, guys, series are hard.  Don't do them!  

Other things on the list.  Yes, I'm going to be querying something.  If you don't know what that means, I'm going to try and find an agent for this new side project book I wrote.  This is a weird thing for me.  I never pictured myself trying to get something traditionally published, but there are a few reasons for that.

The first is that Five Tribes has from the beginning been something that I conceived of as self-published.  When I wrote the very first words, I always pictured these books as something I would take care of myself.  I was approached by an agent about the series, but I believe my exact words were, "I don't know what I'd do with an agent right now."  And I didn't.  I was also approached by a really great small publishing house about the series, but they were ebook only and I couldn't see what they could do for me that I couldn't do for myself. (This is what happens when you are an independent and highly motivated person.  You learn to do things for yourself.)

But then I wrote this other thing and suddenly, I knew that it was something that might be appropriate for the whole publishing industry rigmarole (and believe me it is definitely rigmarole).  So I've been revising and revising and revising and revising... there is a part of me that knows I have to stop trying to make it perfect, but until that part of me starts kicking and screaming, I probably won't listen.

I will soon have something else to occupy my time, though, because nano is coming up and that's when I plan on starting the next Five Tribes book.  Until then, I'll just work on keeping myself busy... somehow... :)

The Power of the Reader

I came here to post good news: my book is with the proofreader and half-way through editing!  Yayayayayayay! Things are looking good for a September publication.  I also have my book cover.  Which I'm happy to share with you all.  Here you go!

I won't give any hints on what happens in this book, but as you might guess from the cover image... Luka figures rather strongly into the storyline.

As I said, I came to tell good news, but along the way I got sidetracked.  I found some long-lost comments that got sidelined for moderation and decided to "get rid of the spam" as it were.  Except, they weren't spam!  They were lovely comments from my readers, telling me how much my stories have meant to them.  They brought tears to my eyes and made me remember again why I keep doing this.

Because, honestly, I do ask myself sometimes (mostly when I'm doing line edits. yick).  Why do I keep doing this? It's hard.  It's long and complicated.  It's time consuming.  And it's just a story, right?

But you all have reminded me, time and again, with emails, with comments, with goodreads messages, that my silly little stories mean something to you.  That you want to know what happens next.  That you still wait for the next edition.

Which makes me excited that I'll be able to share it with you soon! Happy Reading!

Look What The Cat Dragged In

Well, hello friends!  It's been a while, or so I see from the date of my last post.  I promised myself I wasn't gonna say anything unless I had NEWS and guys, I have news in spades!

First off, I'm in final edits for Terris, (book three) of the Five Tribes books.  It's been a long time, and 145,000 words coming.  Some time has come my way (for now) and I have made good use of it.  I'm hoping, HOPING for late August, but just to be safe, I'm gonna say September.
The book cover is in the hands of my cover artist and should be finished in a little bit.  I'll post it here and on goodreads when it's done.
And as one final gift for those of you who have waited literal years to read the third book and have MY memory, I'm going to include a detailed summary at the beginning so that you don't have to read through everything all over again to get the important info.
In other news, I just finished a standalone book that is pretty much in an opposite vein from anything I've ever done before.  It's the first time in a long time that I have written a story that doesn't have like 4 more books coming after it and let me tell you, it was a refreshing change from having to keep track of a thousand little.  It's not for everyone—it's a Regency/fairytale fusion and it was a lot of fun to write.  Still haven't decided what I'm going to DO with it.  I may actually send this one around and see if it's mainstream enough to traditionally publish.  I'm getting feedback on it right now. :)
That's all from the land of Kate.
Happy Reading!