Quarter Pounder with Cheese

Good morning!
Miraculously, I dragged my ass out of bed an hour early, and got Chapter 9 started in Broken Bloodlines, Book 2.
 Yup, that's right. Changed manuscripts again. I'll be honest- I'm a little intimidated by Underbelly at the moment. I have a shit ton of description to do, and well, you know how that sends me running. I really must get over that- I see it in my head, I just have trouble slowing down the images to get them on paper. I need to make Kore as cool and unique as possible- and I haven't found that yet. If I take a break, (like I'm doing) it will come to me.
Okay, time to make sandwiches.
Thanks for stopping,

KR

Why Ghouls and Goblins?

My husband asked me the other day, why I love paranormal/fantasy creatures and stories so much.

Cuz they're cool, DUH.

 I love the paranormal/fantasy world because there are so many possibilities! There are so many different skills and types of creatures and bad-ass-ness that you can create within it! I love the freedom of it- you're not held back by gravity, or mortality, if you don't want to be.
And Power-- there's so much power within the paranormal/fantasy realm.

My love for that type of world is why I mostly play fantasy or RPG videogames. I've never been a huge COD or BO player because that's life as we know it. War, human violence, etc. Eck. No thanks.

What's your favorite genre and why?
@KellyRwrites
Insta: kellyrwrites
Happy Saturday!
KR

Broken Bloodlines Re-Launch

B.B.1 :The Awakening is going back up on Amazon! I've had so many requests from fans, and I'm over here like, you guys know how I like my revisions, LOL. 
 In honor of B.B.1 relaunch, I am posting the first chapter of B.B.2:The Rising! 
Enjoy!!
KR 

Chapter 1: Atrocious Acts

    She needed blood. She needed ancient blood, a kind of blood that would really put her over the edge.

    Arcon’s blood power had worn off only a few minutes after she had finished drinking from him. His body was now a pile of scattered ashes, as his body had ignited after she had beheaded him. It didn’t surprise her, although she hadn’t anticipated the intense flu-like feeling that came over her. She had made it to her bed, had pulled herself up to its impressive height with the last of her strength. Now she was nestled deep within a cocoon of charcoal gray pillows and blankets.

Kaellina’s energy was on its last reserves, and she was nauseous. The bedroom, with its dark gray and black interior, swam around her.

She was defenseless right now. In a very short period of time, she had killed her own Master- Erazem, who had been a 600 year old Vampyre- and Arcon, her sister Calissa’s Master and Kraynu’s Second in Command.  Not a bad night of hunting and rearranging the Bloodline hierarchy.

Killing Erazem himself had been surprisingly quick. But the rest of his coven...that had taken time and a lot of energy. His coven had been fiercely loyal to their Master and had fought hard against her. But once she had taken control of the Jen-Yu, it was much easier to clean up the place.

    Kaellina coughed hard, a wracking cough that left her holding her sides in pain. When it passed, she took several deep breaths and looked at her Echo. Bella, a black panther, was curled up in a miserable ball at the foot of the bed.

    “Bella, we can beat this. You know we can. I know we can.” Bella opened one of her iridescent yellow eyes and stared at Kaellina.

Still, there was the matter of the inconvenient way that Erazem had passed-right before she had destroyed him, he had swallowed one of Calissa’s hairs. Such an odd, maddening thing- how did he even get ahold of one them? One strand of hair that would act as the transport for his soul to take residence inside of Calissa’s head.

    And while it was hilarious to think of him bugging the shit out of her sister, it was not good for war tactics. Erazem had fed on Kaellina, thus tying them intricately together, in such a way that Erazem would always have a bead on her, a personal GPS on her location and activities. Hell, she was pretty sure he was powerful enough to tap into her visual and auditory capabilities, so he could see out of her eyes, and hear what she was hearing.

    Unless Callisa hadn’t survived her Master being killed...The next instant, Kaellina threw out that idea. Kaellina was still alive- if she had survived (so far) Calissa had as well. She wondered how Calissa was feeling; she had killed her sister’s Master, Arcon, about six hours ago. She sincerely hoped that Calissa felt ten times worse than she did.

    She picked up her head to look out at the mammalian bodies that were spread out all around her bedroom. She had taken over Erazem’s 150-member Jen-Yu pack, immortal silver jaguars that were blood bound to a Master. It had been easier than she had thought, and once Erazem’s own pack turned on him…..

    An idea popped into Kaellina’s head. But she didn’t know if it would work. It was a dangerous, formidable idea. Seeing it through would violate one of the most sacred rules of the True. But if it did work…..

    “Ken-yalla” She spoke the ancient name, and the biggest of the giant cats got slowly to his feet. He threaded his way among the bodies over to the bed, where he jumped up next to Kaellina.

    She instructed him to lay down on his side next to her, facing away. She lined their bodies up, and the smell of his blood reached her nostrils. It smelled like paradise- rich, meaty. She could feel his heart beating- which even weakened by the power loss of the last couple of days still beat with incredible energy- energy that Kaellina desperately needed at the moment.

    With her two hands holding down his head and upper body, she threw a leg over the rest of his body. Ken-yalla started to raise his head at this strange procedure but she shoved it back down. Then she bared her fangs, letting them drop to their full length, and stabbed into the muscular neck.

    Ken-yalla jumped and squirmed underneath her, alarmed at this unprecedented behavior. Kaellina tightened her hold as the the delicious fluid burst into her mouth. She tightened her grip on his head and flexed the muscles in her leg, letting the concentrated weight help keep his body still. She felt tendons snap under her teeth and it only made her nestle deeper into the jaguar’s neck. Ken-yalla let out a shriek of pain, followed by another. He thrashed underneath her, but her desperation for what was in his veins helped her overpower the beast.

    Oh! Ken-yalla’s ancient blood sprayed into her mouth, and it was delicious. She had never tasted blood this delicious, this layered. Her eyes closed in ecstasy.

    She felt her powers returning, the insurmountable energy returning. Her limbs were waking up, her muscles plumping up.

    Finally, she pulled out of Ken-yalla, and tilted her head back to crow triumphantly at the ceiling. Dark gold dripped from her fangs, and she pushed Ken-yalla’s limp body off the bed.

    Kaellina sat up in bed, and reveled in the power rush she was experiencing.

    Bella was looking better already- she was sitting alert on the bed, her ebony coat shiny once again. The rest of the Jen-yu had gotten to their feet as well, regarding Kaellina who had just killed their pack master.

    Without taking her eyes off of the one-hundred and forty-nine Jen-Yu that were staring at her, Kaellina slid out of bed and stood before them.

    “Bow before your new Master!” she barked at them. There was a moment before anything moved, then one by one, all the Jen-yu stretched out their front limbs before Kaellina.

    “Let’s go take care of Nashel. We’ll raze that town to the fucking ground.”

Crunch Time

August 19th.
Expected release date of Underbelly Series Book 1: Demons Dead  December 26th, 2016.
CRUNCH TIME!
I get in about 1K words a day. Today I went off topic & worked a bit on short stories, I admit. We all know, however, that switching up the work can be a good thing. And I'm being a good little writer, -on a Friday night, sitting up here in my writing cave, with my laptop going and my notebook with my longhand scrawls in it beside me.
I'm just procrastinating a tiny bit by writing this blog post. But see, this post is important, because I need to update my readers on my progress.
 I can reason my way out of anything.

Happy Friday evening!

KR

Genre-Hopping Fool

I want to write in a lot of different genres. I want to get published in several different ones. My first love will always be paranormal, and I think in the nearest future there will be more romance added in.
  I would also love to make a crime/suspense series, and if TV rights come along, then hey.
I  love the idea of a kids' series that involves a haunted house. Remember The Three Investigators? One of the best kids' series EVER. Their little clubhouse/office underneath the pile of cars? Ah!
Yes, I have strong series tendencies. Probably because I love stumbling across an awesome series, and you start the first book, knowing there are three, four, five more to go.  That's one of life's best surprises.

I'm sure a pretty good autobiography will come out of me someday also ;) Don't worry, I know you're interested.

Rainy Day Writing

The weather was super crappy today, so I took advantage and got a big chunk of B.B. Book 2 done; things are heating up and I need to plan out a BIG battle scene. A battle scene, I suspect, that will leave a secondary character out of commission. Still not positive whether I am going to go through with the nix, but it's a good possibility. 
  I follow a lot of romance & paranormal romance authors on Twitter, and something in my heart warms in those genres. I think I have a romance writer inside of me, whether regular human romance or romance where people are morphing into other things all the time. 
  While I am currently married to the B.B. series, someday I will have definitely have to explore down that sulty alleyway. 
   There's also at least two other stories that need to be worked on. 
  Ah, the freedom! The freedom to make up special powers, new creatures, crazy characters.  
  If only there was more time. 

KR 

The Awakening by Kelly Raine

The characters won't lay down and die. Some days I wish they would but they don't. So Kaellina and Calissa's story continues in the second book, The Rising. Kaellina is coming into her necromancer powers, which is going to send Nashel into a tailspin. Can Calissa find a way to defeat her evil twin?

http://www.amazon.com/Awakening-Book-Broken-Bloodlines-ebook/dp/B00OZZQYS8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455849461&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Awakening+by+Kelly+Raine

Getting Down into that Smooth Groove....

My outline for the new erotic paranormal novel is coming along nicely! It's so exciting- when the pieces start falling together, and the characters start to wake up and move around. 
 I'm really putting effort into this outline, an actual outline, instead of just winging it. It's my own personal challenge and experiment- I want to see this outline through to the end, and stick to a framed course. I know how often I get derailed just winging it, so I'm going to see how much better this way is. Knowing the way I am, I need this outline. 
 Of course I have a bunch of errands to run, so I'm going to have to jump in the shower and go get them done. Yes, there might be a stop at a consignment shop along the way. I'm always on the hunt for pieces of treasure to add to my wardrobe ;) And my summer office wear still needs some help. 
  I hope everyone has a great weekend, and gets plenty of writing done!

Kelly R.

Sexy Research

Thank fuck it's Saturday. I'm not going to get into how uncomfortable this past week was, but you betcha. It did not involve whips and chains, unfortunately.
  Ideas swirl in my head regarding my sexy lady in training. It's coming together in little bits here and there, and the platform is growing....

Sunday Book Review: The Monster's Corner

  Great Morning my loyal readers! I was hoping to wake up to find that, miraculously! Spring had broken this spell of extreme cold and snow drifts that we're stuck in, but alas. No go. Dammit.
  Alright, I'll stop bitching about the weather. Instead, let's focus on this collection of short stories that I finished a few minutes ago. If you're an Instagram follower (@kellyrwrites) you saw that I put the cover up a few days ago.

Monster's Corner is a collection of short stories from a list of great authors, including Kelley Armstrong, David Liss, Gary A. Braunbeck, and Sarah Pinborough. 
  I've never been much of a short story reader, I usually avoid them. I'm not sure why, I think I read some boring collection back in the day and it turned me off. This one had such a disturbing cover that I gave it a shot. I mean, come on, how could anyone not peek inside of something that looks like that? 
  This collection was awesome and just disturbing enough. The very first story, "The Awkward Age", by David Liss, peeked my interest, as it danced on the line between what's appropriate and taboo in a "friendship" between a married man and an underage girl. Yeah. That's what I was thinking too. Don't worry, it ends super gory and the age difference is thrown to the side in light of the disgusting habits of the main character. 
   There are all sorts of bizarre twists in this collection, and many a bloody, dissected body part gets gnawed on. Creatures from your childhood horror stories are given new life and their true origins are explained better than you've ever read. 
  I don't even know if I have a favorite, as so many of the stories were so amazing and original and well-written. There was so much gore and blood, and demented children, and bad people that it made my head spin. It was awesome! 
  Go and get your copy today. As you can see, I borrowed this one from my local library, but I suspect I will have to buy a copy and add it to my personal library. It's just so juicy and gross. 
  K 

Let Me Tell You A Story....

Getting this new book cover made me think back over as to how I first came up with the idea for this book. 
  I know I've touched on this in previous entries, but the first vampire-thing-a bit before that Twilight crap- that got my engines revving was the first Underworld movie.
  There. The seed planted. 
The next thing was a memory that surfaced of the pre-teen series The Animorphs. Remember that series? The kids that could transform into a certain animal? 
And the final bit that slid into place: the trilogy The Golden Compass. I LOVED that goddamned series! That was an awesome escape as a kid. 

Calissa and Kaellina Dorr are twin sisters who are at odds from day 1. They are Morgins, born to human parents. Meaning, that Calissa came out with a peregrin falcon chic, and Kaellina came out with a black panther cub. Yeah, that's right-Came out with. Morgins have a long history, and only show up when chaos is about to kick off. Morgins usually only come one person at a time....what do you think twins signify?
 They both get mixed up with some bad ass vampires shortly after their 19th birthday, and yadda yadda, there's going to be a second book.
How do you like that?
 Pick up your copy of Broken Bloodlines, Book 1: The Awakening here.
K

Writing Update

    Beautiful Sunday! Beautiful steaming cup of coffee on my left, and all my materials for working on Book 2 of the Broken Bloodlines series on my right. Those include my laptop (which I'm using to write this before I really dive in for the day), my Kishi Kishi binder(left hand picture)

full of sections of colored paper devoted to certain subjects, like character details, location details, etc. and a wonderfully designed composition book (right hand picture) (thank you VG!) that I use for chapter starts, writing out plot/character issues, and general writer's block breakthrough. I often find that if I start a chapter by hand it will start to plan itself out enough so that I can switch to the laptop. 

    I had quite a non-writing lull after I published Book 1. I don't know if it was just due to the career transition I was doing around the same time, or if I'll always need a break like that before starting the next. I hope to jump back into the fray sooner. I published Book 1 on Thanksgiving, and I didn't really dive back into Book 2 until about 2 weeks ago. 
  I'm giving myself a full 10 months to write this one, and a month for editing so I'm tentatively planning on getting this one out for Christmas. 
  Book 1: The Awakening has been well-received, and I already have people asking about the second one. If you haven't downloaded your copy yet, you can find it on Amazon here.
   Thank you all, 

  K

The Journey to publishing The Awakening

My obsession with vampires came after I watched the first Underworld. Oh my God, I fell in love with the sleek pleather wrapped around Beckinsale’s body, and the Gothic blue/black background of the set. To me, that’s how organic vampirism is, with giant castles and dark stormy nights of bloodsucking.

    I first started putting down scenes and ideas for Broken Bloodlines back in.....2006? And when I tell you that this book has evolved over the years, it is so different from what it was originally. 

  Originally, the majority of the action took place in a stripclub (how surprising, I know) and our main lady friend Calissa, started off as Lakyra. I still love that name, too. There was a little more sex in the original version, but I made the sex better in the published version, haha. 

  Back when I started working on it, I was a night owl, still doing night shifts at the club.  I would sleep in till about 1 p.m., get up and make coffee, then write until about 4 when I would start to get ready for work. 

 If work was slow, I would take my notebook and post up at the tables against the wall, and write away until some money came through the door. 

  Here it is, the end of 2014, and the damn thing is finally out there. Much modified, but strengthened. 

  Enjoy! And when you finish it, can you leave me a review? Either here or email me at: kellyraine1818@gmail.com 

  Thank you all :) 

KelBel

It's Live!!!

It's LIVE and only .99 and is waiting to be downloaded for your entertainment!! Need an escape after dealing with the inlaws? Download The Awakening and dive into this world! 

KelBel

Did you order your copy yet?

Have you ordered your copy of The Awakening, book 1 of my Broken Bloodlines series? It's only .99 and it's officially released on Thanksgiving, which is less than 3 days away!Order it HERE :D

 I LOVE Thanksgiving. It's all my favorite foods, and so comforting. Mmmmm turkey and gravy and football. Fuck yeah.
 So here's the deal: get your pre-order in, and on Thanksgiving, you can stuff your face with deliciousness, then settle on the couch with your technology (cuz you will probably need a break from the relations) and dive into an exciting story.

The Awakening introduces a new kind of paranormal being, and is the story of a battle between twin sisters. The sisters have extraordinary powers, and will face off against one another to gain control of a sleepy little town named Nashel. Nashel has something that both girls desperately want, but they have much different intentions. 

Order your copy today! If you don't have a Kindle, you can download the app on your smartphone.

Much Love, 
 KelBel

(Did I mention it's only .99?)

 

Get You Some Here 

E-Book release!!

                                                                                       

So this happened yesterday....

Meet my baby of almost 10 years in the making (yes, I got distracted a lot over those 10 years!) 

The Awakening, Book 1 of the Broken Bloodlines series. 

It's official e-book release is Thanksgiving Day, but you can preorder it here!

Here are the deets: 

One cold November night, a very special pair of twin girls were born. Little did those screaming, red-faced infants know that on their 19th birthday, they would both be plunged into the middle of a battle between ancient beings ...
Nashel is a large town with a special history. There are different kinds of beings that watch over it, and guard its precious cargo. Calissa and Kaellina Dorr grew up as outcasts on the edge of Nashel and are now sworn enemies. Both want control over Nashel and what its hiding under its many layers. Calissa, with help of the other ancient beings that inhabit Nashel, is trying to keep Kaellina from finding that which she so desperately seeks. Each sister has dangerous, new powers that no one in Nashel has seen before and the future will be decided by the winner of the war between beings.
In this first book of the Broken Bloodlines series, meet the main characters and learn the prestory of the Morgins.

Ok, so maybe I changed my mind

I managed to get into my Kelly Raine Yahoo account, which had been compromised for like 2 years. Maybe it was looking at all the old emails, including the one where I had queried a publisher down in Florida about sending my paranormal novel to them, but now I feel like I should just keep building my audience on the platform I already developed. I mean, I've had Kelly Raine since.....2001? 2002? 
So...maybe I'll gift you guys with my first three installments of Elemental Evil, my web series. 
Promise you'll read it? 
K

Writing & Vampires

I think I get too serious about writing. I mean, there is quite a bit that has be serious- correct punctuation, grammar, spelling, etc. But the story itself- why do I struggle to be more imaginative and take more risks? Lord knows I still have the imagination of a 10-year old, why do I have so much trouble translating that on paper?
 I have loved the written word....books....writing....since I can remember.  I loved adventure stories the most, and am fascinated with all sorts of creatures, that's why the paranormal genre is really the best avenue for me. Then I can just make shit up. 
Which brings me to my next case-in-point: when it comes to vampires, I don't believe there's really a set bunch of rules. There are many many different versions of them in ancient worldwide folklore, and yes, there are two "rules" that usually show up: sunlight is not a friend, and blood is yummy. But whether that blood should be let through a thigh artery, or a newborn's pinkie, changes depending on the part of the world. Along with different methods for protecting yourself from them.
 And as writers, I believe we're allowed to shape our vampires however we want. I personally love the Underworld version the best: they live in dreary castles, wear sexy black costumes complete with dusters, and are aristocratic snobs. I love the blue-black backdrop of those movies and let's not get me started on Selena.... ;)
 Vampires should be deadly, and sexy as hell. I suppose that's why vamp chic lit *sneer* has never really pulled me in. It's too normal. Vampires are not normal. Vampires are Gods of the Dark. 
 Every guy that I've dated has rolled his eyes when I start talking vampires. I know, most guys think they're corny. 
 However, the women with any sense know- Vampires can get it. 
  Ok, I need to go listen to mine. 
 K