Coffee Bean Bugaloo

My husband and I are coffee snobs. We only like the finest whole beans (usually either Starbucks or my fav, Peets) and we grind them ourselves. 
On the weekends, we switch from the regular coffee brew we use during the week (quick and easy for those blurry-eyed mornings) to our French press. I keep two different containers in the freezer- one finely ground for the coffeemaker, and one a little coarser ground for the French press.
  I love French press coffee. It's like every bit of coffee deliciousness gets pulled out of every little bean- the coffee is so strong, and husky. And the way I make it- it is not for the faint of heart. You must be a true coffee lover in order to withstand my brew.
  My cat, however, is not a fan of our coffee brewing systems. Saturday mornings are our cuddle time and he's all curled up on my lap and snoring away by the time the coffee has finished steeping. Then I unceremoniously dump him aside in my eagerness for the hot drink waiting for me.
  Are you also a coffee snob?  What is your coffee ritual and routine?

KR

Trips Into Nothingness

Ah, Saturday morning. A morning with hours alone, the TV on mute showing some black and white gangster film, and I have dubstep blasting in my ears. Hubby is off securing the grocery list with which to entertain my in-laws when they arrive later today. I have a whole house to clean.
  That kind of situation is exactly what I needed to make me want to write again! It's so bad, I'm such a procrastinator. You fill my day up with activity, and it snaps me right out of a mini writers block and back in writer mode! *grin*
  I will make some progress on Chapter 20, right now before I start to clean.Things are really starting to heat up in Underbelly Book 1 and that's what threw me off- perhaps I will always need to take a break before the big climax build. (After all, you must be well-rested before a climax....)
  Morning is always my best writing time. Also, who the fuck wants to clean their house right when they get up? That's not happening. 
  Ok, munchkins. I hope everyone has a great relaxing weekend. Unofficially the end of summer, and I'm all ready for it.

KR
  

Embrace Technology

Happy Saturday!
Today, I wanted to touch on embracing the different tech platforms that are available to writers.
If you're anything like me, you get your writing station all set up, and the writing goes well for a few days, and then one day, you are just not feeling it. This happens to me, and what I try is to switch up how and where I get my writing done.
 Most early weekday mornings, I'm at the dining room table, on my laptop. I have my coffee mug filled and more often than not, a slumbering kitty on my lap. I tune up my Pandora, put on my headphones and (most) mornings can crank out at least 500 words before I have to start getting ready for work. (And while 500 a day is not a lot, by the end of the weekday, that's 2500 words. Remember to put things in perspective!)
  But then the weekend swings around, and I sleep in a bit later. I'm more in the mood to chill on the couch (again, with the standard feline trapping me) and my phone becomes my writing tablet. I use the Blogger app to update this site, and Google Drive app to get some more words down for The Underbelly Series.
  The message I'm trying to get across for those that get bored by their writing setup (and consequently, feel guilty by lack of writing progress)- don't be afraid to embrace different types of technology to get the writing done. Also, don't be afraid to move your writing studio around as well. It is often a godsend to switch up your scene- it can spark new ideas and get the ball rolling once again.   Be fluid, and you'll be rewarded with more frequent bursts of inspiration.

KR

Monday Itchies

Good morning.
Another weekend has flown by, and in just a few precious hours I must once again engage with other human beings.
I slept terribly. It's been super windy out, and all those weird whines and whistles houses do during such weather kept waking me up.
I'm also on here instead of Google Drive because I'm stalling. I'm not sure how I want Chapter 12 to start. I know what needs to happen within it, but I'm still trying to come up with the best, most powerful and telling opening. It's the first big chapter for a new character, so I also have to make sure his personality  is developed correctly.
  The image of a bowling alley keeps coming back to me.....hmm, might have to explore this.

KR 

To Build an Empire....

Happy Saturday morning dear readers!
I'm currently writing on the couch with my torso twisted all funny, due to the feline that has draped himself all over my lap. Thus my laptop has been placed to my left, so I have to twist in order to give my fingers correct placement on the keyboard. Lazy kitties.
  This is a quick post as I have a special library gig to go to soon. However, I wanted to put a little blurb up about how I'm branching out.
  You see, I am very much an introvert, and can easily morph into a total hermit.
   When it comes to writing, I am really making an effort to be more involved- through online discussion, book reviews, writing communities, etc. I have signed up to be a Reader's Hollow book reviewer, which I'm really excited about. (See button--->)
It's a great site, full of awesome writers and readers and reviewers. Amazing titles come through, and it was hard to decide on which book to review.
   And as always, I'm always open to new writers that are looking for an interview and exposure- email me! kellyraine1818@gmail.com and we'll get that set up.
  We all have to work together in this!

Have a great weekend,

KR

Gummi Bears

Dearest Reader,

It is spring.
Yes, we might still get a snowstorm yet, but it is spring.

Saturday night is always bittersweet- you think, this time tomorrow night is the end of the weekend. A stupid thought, but I know I'm not alone in it.
I sat out on the porch for a while today, soaking in the sun and writing with my laptop, trying to get the ancient blood bags to cooperate with one of my main characters. They eventually saw his reasoning and relented, but it wasn't an easy journey.

Currently, my mouth is full of gummi bears- like, I've got about fifteen of them suckers crammed in their. I have an obsession with the said squishy bundles of high fructose corn syrup- they make me so happy.

Hope y'all are having a great weekend!
Keep reading,

K

Friday Morning .....

....Is like the day after a long, hard battle. There are the casualties of the week all around you- dishes & dirty clothes piled up, the litter box needs emptying, my mind needs emptying.....and just a few more hours of struggle before the weekend begins & you can clean things up. 

  Ok, a bit of an exaggeration. My house doesn't get that dirty. But it feels like it gets super disorganized and messy. 

  I love the weekends. After so many years of not having the whole weekend, every weekend for leisure it's still a novelty. 

  This week was killer. Both personal and work-wise. But it's almost over 😎 and it will be spring....eventually. 

Hope your Friday goes Fabulously! 

  Live & Light, 

K 

  

Happy Saturday! (Or Caturday as my Google Feed seemed to be all about!)

Ah, the weekend. Let me tell you, as someone recently freed from the world of retail, having every weekend off is AWESOME!!
  My first week at the new job went well, I love it there! The people are cool, they have a great culture and starting on Monday, things are going to get busy! Bring it on ;) 
 Today is my nephew's birthday party, and there are a bunch of other errands that need to be accomplished as well. We got up at like 6:30 today lol #morningfreaks 
  My cat got all confused with the time change, and now my work schedule has him getting loud and annoying even earlier in the morning. Like, 4:30 a.m. he starts his shit. He needs to get with the program. 
  I'm really blogging right now because I just gave myself a #weekendmani and I'm waiting the final minutes for it to dry before I get ready to run errands. 
  Looks like the pre-orders for my vampire novel are rolling in, and it's so exciting! Have you ordered your copy of The Awakening yet? (Psst! It's only .99!) If you don't own a Kindle, but you have a smart phone, you can download the Kindle app and be on your paranormal adventure way!
  All of you are awesome! 
 K
 

Amazing Fall Weekend

I give thanks to whomever every day that I wake up to my life. While I still have a ways to go before I'm at where I want to be, this year has been so amazing.
 This has been an awesome, relaxing & fun weekend. I have had several hours of lying on the couch, catching up on my Netflix queue, and perfecting my manicure. However, I also plan out/finish articles and query editors about new ideas during such activity. So.
  Today the lover & I had a fall-themed day; we went to Abbott's Farm to go apple picking
 
and we're already planning out delicious apple pie making. We also hit up the Jordan Fall Festival. I was surprised that I only recognized one person. The day was nice and chilly for the....chili, and of course we both had one of the famous donuts. My god, I forgot how delicious they are! You have to eat them fresh though- that sorta calorie count does not keep well once it cools.
I'm including the food pics from this weekend- yes, a significant part of our relationship revolves around our joint love of culinary product. I have learned so much since being under his tutelage, so many little secrets to cooking, especially the chemistry of cooking and why foods are put together the way are put together. Bon appetite!

Thank Fuck its Friday

Long week. But, a successful one!
I have been working on my freelancing, building up my writing portfolio. A trial article I wrote for a fashion magazine was well received and they’ve brought me on board of their writing team, with two articles a week needed. Writing about fashion, especially independent/indie designers? No problem! They’re in the middle of re-launching, so once everything’s up and running, I’ll showcase it!
If I can land one more writing job, then I can shut down the dancing to a minimum. Money’s shit there anyway, so I’m pretty close to saying fuck it as it is. I wish I had a magic ball that could tell me if a shift is going to be worth it or not
And I have so much homework to do this weekend, not cool. I’m so impatient for the end of this educational nonsense. Bahumbug!!
p.s. Once school is done, I’m going to be incorporating foodie elements in here. I eat a lot of bangin’ ass food, thanks to my amazing boyfriend. Occasionally I pull some extraordinary flavors onto the dinner table, but 80% is him.