Hey, it's "Make Your Own Lane on the Freeway" Day!

Yeah, it's been one of those days. It's only 6:30 AM and it's one of those days.
It's hard enough to get up before the crack of dawn the morning after Christmas and return to your regular work schedule for a few days, but it makes it that much worse when you already have an hour drive that gets extended by a half hour because of roads. Granted, it has been snowing, but not that much snow dropped over night. Despite that, I donned my scarf, and pulled on my snuggly new socks and boots and left the house in (more or less) a good mood.

Until I hit the freeway.

Not one lane was plowed. There was a set of tire tracks that it appeared everyone was using to drive on I-15, and I could tell from other tire tracks in the snow that others had dared take the lane less traveled. But, come on, I'm in Utah! Snow can happen at ANY time here, so why the crap weren't the plows out doing their job? Okay, okay, I didn't want to come to work today either, but if I had a job that meant people's safety, I'd wake my ass up and do my job without complaint. As it is, I sit at a computer all day, running reports and making sure all systems are "Go!" I can do that anywhere, and would very gladly do it all snuggled in bed if I were allowed to. But, funny enough, guess who was out on the road first...

So, after that almost hour-and-a-half drive, where I spent only some of my time driving within the limits of those two tire tracks, and occassionaly making my own lane along with some of the other dare-devils, I finally reached a point where the roads weren't snowy at all, only wet. The rest of the drive went pretty quick after that - at least we early-morning drivers could see the lanes!

So I pass by where I work, deciding that I deserve a coffee for my troubles (and because I know the building I work in will be Fa-reezing!) I stop in at McDonald's and order myself a medium caramel mocha. I should have known when I took the cup from the drive-thru lady and drove off that it felt light. Let's just say that I paid $3.50'ish for a medium caramel mocha and got this:

Nope, I didn't take one swig out of that before I took the picture. That is how McDonald's handed it to me. Can we say ripoff??

Even as I'm typing this, I've taken a few sips, and its gross. Maybe it's the fault of whoever made it, maybe it's how they're supposed to make it. Either way, I feel gypped. I'll return to my normal 7-11 coffee tomorrow, thank you very much.

Merry Christmas

Wow, I can't believe it's Christmas already. Four nights from now I won't be able to sleep a wink because I'll be way too excited to see everyone's reactions to what they get Christmas morning. More than likely we'll be up by 5:00 am, running down the stairs in our pj's and acting like five year olds. And then after my wee little family opens all the gifts under our tree, we'll go to my Mom and Dad's house and spend some time with my brothers and sisters, and their kids too. We'll eat some Egg-Sausage Casserole, which is a time-honored tradition in my family, and in the hours after opening presents there, I'll probably be working on a special Christmas dinner for me and my fam.

Of course, the days leading up to the big day will be nuts. I still have some shopping and wrapping to do, not to mention that I have to keep my husband from sneaking a peek at his own gifts under the tree - he always tries to convince me that we should open them early... You have no idea how many times I've given into his puppy-dog eyes and pouty lip.

In addition to the normal hustle-and-bustle of the holidays, I'm really hoping to spend some quality time on the Immortal Guardians book #4. I'm really not that far from finishing it, but at the same time I feel like it's an eternity away! So here's to the holidays, and here's to my boys.

Merry Christmas!!

Evernight Christmas Blog Hop!

Welcome to the Evernight Holiday Blog Hop!

We love the holidays, we love making our readers happy and we love giving away swag. What better way to do that than to hold a blog hop?

Here's how it works... the more blogs you hop to (shown below) the more chance you have of winning prizes. Each site on the hop is offering a prize and Evernight is offering an iPad 2 as the grand prize! To be in with a chance of winning the site prize simply follow the blog you're visiting and leave a comment which includes your email address. Each entry on each blog is then counted towards the grand prize draw. The more entries you have, the better your chance of winning that iPad 2! You also get extra points for liking the Evernight Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/#!/evernightpublishing. Just make sure you let us know in the comments that you've done so.

Happy hopping!

 

And now a message from me:

 

Thanks for stopping by my blog! I've been with Evernight Publishing for a year now, and in that time, I have had three releases in my Immortal Guardians series: Dark Seduction, Passion Ignited, and Born of Silence. In celebration of Evernight's Christmas Blog Hop, one lucky winner will win an autographed paperback copy of Dark Seduction! To enter, all you need to do is Follow my blog and leave a comment below with your email address. And don't forget to follow the links to the other blogs so you can enter to win even more prizes!

Oh, and did I mention that you can gain an extra entry to win Immortal Guardians: Dark Seduction?
When you leave your comment on this blog post, tell me which character(s) in my Immortal Guardians series  you're dying to read about next.

Thanks!
Katalyn

 

Upcoming Blog Hop

Yay! Evernight Publishing is doing a Blog Hop starting on the 10th of December and I, along with many fellow Evernight Authors, are taking part. So check back on the 10th and check out everyone's incredible blogs. I just know you'll meet some fun authors along the way. And who knows, you could even win some prizes!

Where has the time gone?

I can't believe it's already December. I mean, I can (who could miss all the Christmas cheer going on). I just can't believe that it came so soon!

I had every intention of having another book release this month. Really, I did. But somehow time got away from me. There's still an all-out war going on between my characters, vying for my full and undivided attention, but I've been able to focus on just TWO of them for now, the hero and heroine in the Immortal Guardians book I'm trying to finish. I'm probably only about half-way done with it, and that doesn't include edits, but at least it's coming along.

And you have no idea how bad I want to share some of it here on my blog!

My plan to fit a crap ton of writing in this weekend didn't happen, but I did get some Christmas shopping done for some of my favorites. Although, I must say that I was rather pleased with myself on how much writing I did get in last week. It may not be as much as I was able to accomplish pre-baby, but it was much better than I've been able to do lately.

Now, let's see if I can beat last week's progress. :)

The war inside my head

Life gets crazy, and when it does there's added pressure because I'm an author. It seems whenever I don't have time (or energy, sometimes) to write, the characters in my head start to throw fits. Now, sometimes - and depending on the character - they stomp their foot and cross their arms before turning away with their nose up in the air and give me the cold shoulder, but sometimes ... sometimes they just get LOUD.

Over the past few weeks, I've already had four Immortal Guardians fighting over whose story I should work on, but I haven't been able to put in the time to get any of their stories done. Granted, I am probably 1/3 of the way done with one of the books I'm currently writing, but I just can't keep up with their demands. They are certainly keeping me busy with all the scenes they're showing me though....

In addition to those four Guardians wanting me to focus all my attention on them, I now have NEW ideas creeping in and poking at my brain  with a broom stick (because they just don't have room to squeeze past the Guardians). My husband often jokes (or maybe not?) that I'm crazy because I have so many people inside my head.

I'm starting to believe he's right.

I wish I could stay at home and be a full-time author so that maybe someday I could get these ideas down on paper, and give these characters who have chosen me to be their storyteller the time and credit they deserve. I've already negleted some of the projects I had started nearly a year ago, but every once in a while they get a good poke in with that broom stick.

/sigh. Time to get back to work. Maybe I can get a few words in today.

My First Interview

Yay! I just had my first interview. Avery Flynn, an incredible Evernight Publishing author, has graciously hosted me on her blog. I mostly talk about the third novel in the Immortal Guardians series, but Avery has some other fun questions for me.

Anyone have a guess who I chose between David Boreanaz and Nathan Fillion? Find out here!

The Guardians' Mark

I am pleased to announce that I have completed the Guardians' Mark design, which was more or less forced on my brain by my stalwart Immortal Guardians. It has been on my mind a lot lately, so I finally designed it for my fans to see.

October, already??

I can't believe how fast time flies. It doesn't seem like a month has passed since I posted last, but, here we are, well into October. I know, I know, I am such a slacker.

As many of you may know, I live in Utah, and I am a member of the Utah RWA. If you ask any of the Utah RWA ladies, they'll probably tell you I'm a slacker as far as members go as well (I'm living up to the name here! haha) - I rarely get a chance to attend the meetings since I have to drive about an hour each way, but I do try to keep up with what all those fabulous ladies and gentlemen are doing in their writing careers.

Anyhoo, I've veared off, so I'll get back on track....

This past weekend the Utah RWA held their annual conference in Park City, UT, so I went with a couple of my writer friends. I had a blast getting to know some of my fellow members better, and went guppy-mouthed when Sherrilyn Kenyon sat at my table to eat dinner the first night. I played guppy for I don't even know how long before I finally kicked myself in the pants and joined in the confersation at the table (about BDSM of all things!) and joked around with her. She is such a great person, and so much more down-to-earth than I had imagined. I am awed at how amazing that woman's books are, and how she cranks them out so fast is anyone's guess. It was just nice to be around such brilliance, especially when I hope to be able to accomplish what she does - sometime in the near future. I had wanted to give her a copy of Dark Seduction, since I have a few printed books on hand, but I completely forgot to pack one for the trip!

The conference was great. Every year I learn new things, and it has this incredible way of getting me motivated to write. Not just in the Immortal Guardians series, but also in my other projects as well. Life has certainly gotten a lot busier for me the last few months, so I'm trying to come up with a plan to be able to continue writing (and give my Guardians and other characters the attention they deserve) while also still spend quality (as in, not staring at my laptop screen or tablet, clicking away at the keys as a scene takes over my every thought) time with my family as well. I have a feeling that things will get even more hectic with the holidays coming up, but maybe, just maybe, I can keep working on Book #4.

Only 2 days left

Wow, I can't believe Born of Silence releases in just two days. This time has totally flown. I had hoped to have another novel close to completion by now, but my new mommy duties are taking a toll on my energy (no, I'm not complaining. I love my little bug so much). I am 12K into the fourth book though, so when I do get a chance to write, it is going pretty well. At this point, I know I won't hit my goal of having on release in each of the quarters this first year, but hopefully I can do these characters justice and let their story sing.

Only two more days to go.
Or, as my hubby would say, "One day and a wake-up."

Release Date for Born of Silence!

Yay! I got my release date for Garrick's book! On September 11th, 2012, Born of Silence - the third novel in the Immortal Guardians series - will be available on Evernight Publishing's website, as well as many other eBook retailers! I'm still trying to decide if I should make a book trailer. I do love how the other two turned out, but it takes a lot of time and patience to create them (and edit and edit and edit, LOL). So, I just need to determine if I should put time and energy into that, spend time with my new baby, or work on writing the next book.

Between work and new baby, my writing has seriously suffered, and I doubt I'll hit my goal of releasing one book every quarter. Hopefully I can find some energy and write the book that many of my fans are waiting to read.

Immortal Guardians: Born of Silence

Can I just tell you just how much I love Evernight Publishing and Sour Cherry Designs? Evernight is such an incredible publisher, and I am so lucky to be able to work with them. My editor is fantastic. I appreciate everything she does, the suggestions she makes, and how she doesn't get mad at me for my screw-ups. :o)

And Sour Cherry Designs, wow ... I adore every cover they make! Especially my newest one, for Born of Silence, the third novel in the Immortal Guardians series.
You've read about Draven and Ally in Dark Seduction.
You've read about Raider and Nitro in Passion Ignited.
Now, for those of you waiting to hear what happens to Garrick, your wait is only a few short months. Born of Silence is projected to be released in September, 2012!

September, baby!

Yay! I'm so excited. Garrick's book (the third in the Immortal Guardians series) will be available September, 2012! I can't wait to see the new cover and get working on edits.

It's in the mail

Well, I did it. I typed up my synopsis and my query letter for book #3. The fate of the third Immortal Guardians novel is now in the hands of my publisher. Fingers crossed it is accepted! I hope they like it!

I'm caving in

Alright, I'm caving in. I was going to hold onto the third novel in the Immortal Guardians series until I got further into writing the fourth, but my awesome fans write me, asking when the third will come out. So, I'm getting everything in order to submit the novel to Evernight Publishing, so hopefully it will be published soon. I'll update with details as soon as I get them!

Why I'm not a fan of pirating

Last night I was feeling great. I finished the edits on my third Immortal Guardians book (the ones I go through before I submit to my publisher). Today though, I'm finding myself irritated and what some might consider "put out."

I keep finding sites that are giving away my books for free. I'm sure many people just think, "Hey, I'm just helping out my friends. They should get it for free just like I did," but in reality, these people are thieves, whether they realize it or not. When you give away a book for free without the author's permission, you've just robbed them. When you download a book for free that wasn't designed to be sold as such, you've just robbed the author (as well as their publisher, editor, and cover-artist).

I know I'm new to this whole writing thing, and that there are a lot of authors out there (best-sellers especially) who are losing hard-earned money every day because of piraters. So this post today is to just put it out there how this affects me personally, so that maybe at least one of the people who have stolen or distributed my book illegally will realize that its not okay.

Not many people know this, as I have been tight-lipped about it in my writing world, but I work hard at writing (and doing my best to write stories that people will enjoy) because I have a life-long goal that I haven't been able to achieve, and am desperate to.

For many people, having children comes as easy as looking at a member of the opposite sex and poof! they're pregnant. For me and my husband, not so much. We celebrated our eleventh anniversary earlier this month, and during our entire marriage we have tried to build our family. We've lost seven babies due to miscarriage (one being a tubal pregnancy) and it has taken ten's of thousands of dollars, as well too much heartache, to do something that comes so easy to others.

When I first found out I was going to be published, it occurred to me that maybe my husband and I could actually keep trying (more than what we do every month since it's clearly not working), and could maybe save up enough to afford another round of IVF. It didn't occur to me that people would just steal my work, and therefore take away any chances I might have left. Not only does it take that away, but even if I wasn't trying anymore, it would still affect my livelihood, and that of my publisher's and all the people who helped pull it together. People stealing like that can take food off of our tables, and make it so we can't afford to pay our bills.

All I ask is that people think before they download or distribute illegally.

Also, I really do appreciate my fans, especially those who have supported me by purchasing my novels. Every dollar I make goes into my little "Books for Babies" fund. I put everything I have into each book I write in hopes that it will provide you with entertainment and open up your imagination.

Coming Soon to Print, baby!

I have been a super good girl today. I have worked tirelessly at editing, making some important changes to the third book in the Immortal Guardians series, and I'm well on my way to finishing it up!

Anyhoo, imagine my surprise when I stop working for the night and decide to go check out what's going on at Evernight Publishing's site, when I spot that Dark Seduction is coming soon to print!

O - M - G!

I am so stoked, you have no idea! Being published is such an awesome experience, but I can't even tell you how thrilled I am that my book is going to be printed. Holding that in my hands, smelling the paper and ink... *sigh

I can't wait!

Great night of editing

I'm actually proud of myself for editing tonight. I've been tired, but I pushed myself to keep working. I'm now getting into one of my favorite parts of the story, so hopefully I can keep finding time throughout the week to get the book done!

Well, off to bed. Nighty night folks!

Editing

The last few months have been crazy! There is a lot going on in my life and my writing has really suffered. Thankfully I was able to write the ending of the third Immortal Guardians novel, so now I'm re-editing the rest of the book. I haven't decided when I'm going to submit it for publishing; I may start the fourth one first, or I might even work on one of my other WIPs. I never know when a Guardian is going to throw new information at me, and I don't want to miss anything before submitting (or publishing) it.

I did try to edit last night, but it was short-lived since I was already starting to get a headache (which turned into a stupid migraine - grrrr), and I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to again. The next few nights I'm going to spend time hanging out with my sweetheart since he's off work.

One thing that has really gotten me excited about writing again is getting fan mail. It's surreal, hearing from people who've read something you wrote and they actually liked (or loved) it! I still can't believe it, and I very much enjoy hearing what people think, and hearing about their favorite characters or even their favorite parts. So if anyone wants to write me, simply go to my site (katalynsage.com) and fill out the form to the left, I'll get an email from you personally. Or if you want to leave a comment, I'll see that too.

Hopefully I can keep it up so I can deliver more Guardians to my fans!

A lot has happened - even a 5-Star Review!

Wow. I can't believe its been over two weeks since I last posted... I know, I know, I'm a slacker.

Passion Ignited released on May 8th. I can't wait to hear what people think. I've also seen a few reviews for Dark Seduction, a few of them are on Amazon.com and a couple are on Evernight Publishing's website. I did get my first official book review site review though, so I'm posting it here.

This is a 5-Star Review from Night Owl Reviews on May 3rd, 2012:

This book is a great start to an excellent new series. I couldn't put it down. I finished it in less than two days. It was awesome. I can't wait for the next one.

Ally comes home to enjoy a nice family meal, before she walks in the door she hears a gun shot. Shortly after, she gets accosted by two men wondering how she knows the Stanfords. This is just the beginning of Ally's incredible journey. She finds out that there is a whole different world hidden in plain sight. Not to mention the fact that everything she knew about herself and her family has been a ruse to protect her from an unknown threat.

Draven finds himself smack dab in the middle of an all-out war between the guardians and demons. He has to get to the bottom of the mystery of why Ally is being hunted. What is so special about her? He also has to figure out his feelings for Ally, after all she's only human, or is she?

Take a gander at this new series, you are guaranteed not to be disappointed. It is an excellent beginning to what looks to be another great series.

And the countdown begins...

I can't believe it's only one week until Passion Ignited comes out. I am so excited for Raider's book to release. The contest is still in full-swing on facebook.com/ImmortalGuardians, so be sure to post a pic of what you think Draven looks like if you haven't already (and no, emailing me pictures doesn't count, you have to post them on my Immortal Guardians' Facebook page).

So, here we go... The countdown to Tuesday begins.

Draven's Dream-cast contest

I'm happy to announce my first contest, which is timed perfectly with the upcoming release of Passion Ignited in the Immortal Guardians series! I want to know who you think Draven looks like.

Entering is easy, just "Like" Facebook.com/ImmortalGuardians and submit a photo of what you think Draven looks like. You can submit up to three photos for more chances to win. The winner will be chosen at random on May 8th, 2012, and will win a free PDF copy of Passion Ignited! Who knows, a picture you submit might just end up on my site!

Passion Ignited Trailer

Here is the trailer for Passion Ignited, the second novel in the Immortal Guardians series. Enjoy!!

Got my release date!

This will be a short post, I just couldn't wait to share the news. I got my release date for Passion Ignited!

Coming to Evernight Publishing on May 8th, 2012, baby!

Edits turned in

I'm such a good girl, I got my edits turned in today. The edits for Passion Ignited were far easier than they were for Dark Seduction; hopefully that means that my skills are improving. Passion Ignited is, so far, my favorite book. Maybe that's just a testament to my truly dark and naughty side...

Either way, I can't wait for everyone to get a chance to read it.

Now that they're turned back in, I should hopefully find out when my release date will be (unless there are more edits that need to be made) - we'll see. This also means that I need to get cracking on finishing the third book and decide if I want to make a book trailer. Don't get me wrong, making trailers is a blast, but it also takes up a lot of much needed writing time.

On a side note, I'm having an internal debate with myself (okay, my characters are) on whose book to work on next. My YA characters have been oh, so patient so far, and I love the story (despite the fact that I didn't final in the writing contest *pout*), but I also love writing about my Guardians.

Decisions, decisions...either way, I'll make some of the characters in my head pissed at me.

New Cover: Passion Ignited

It's been really hard to keep this quiet, and I just can't hold it in anymore. Raider's book was accepted by Evernight Publishing and is releasing in just a few months! Passion Ignited is the second book in the Immortal Guardians series, and I got the cover for it this week.

Feast your eyes on this bad boy!

More info to come!

25% off this weekend only!

Evernight Publishing has a St. Patrick's Day weekend special, offering 25% off on all Ebooks! Mine included. Check it out, there are a lot of great reads offered by Evernight Publishing, and now is a great time to buy. Here is the link directly to the page for Dark Seduction: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/dark-seduction-by-katalyn-sage/

Dark Seduction is also available on other sites as well, like Amazon, BookStrand, Smashwords to name a few, though only Evernight Publishing is offering the great deal this weekend.

Enjoy!

Release Day!

Today is the release day for Dark Seduction! I am so excited that it's coming out. It can be found at evernightpublishing.com as well as many eBook retailers.

Anyone who knows me will know that I've been sick the last few days, simply from nerves. A lot of things have crossed my mind during this entire process--both bad and good--and all I can say is that I can't believe the day is finally here, and I can only hope there is much more to come.

Release date and book trailer!

I am proud to announce that Dark Seduction, the first novel in the Immortal Guardians series is going to be released March 2nd by Evernight Publishing! I am so excited, I can hardly wait. Only 1 week and 2 days to go until my boys can make their debut!

My book trailer can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWQtOUpuJRU

Editing

I've been busy the last couple of weeks editing the first Immortal Guardians novel. I sent the 2nd round of edits back in to my publisher last night and I'm now patiently waiting to find out if there will be anymore edits needed or if we're on our way to getting published. I'm really excited and can't wait to share my boys with the world.

Guardians Facebook Page

I think my boys should get their own page, what do you think?

Check it out at http://www.facebook.com/Immortalguardians!

Good Intentions

I had good intentions to write/edit this weekend, especially today. But, sometime good intentions just aren't enough. I was able to edit for a few hours yesterday, but any author can tell you just how far that gets you... which is hardly anywhere. Today I had planned to edit all day and I'm sad to say that I haven't even got to peek at the novel, let alone read or edit it.
On the upside, I am over 1/3 of the way done editing the 3rd Immoral Guardians novel, so at least I am making some progress, even though its slow-going.

Well, I guess now that my computer is on, I'd better edit what I can until I have to hit the sack.

Edit, Edit, Edit

Editing is going well for the 3rd book in the Immortal Guardians series. I'm anxious for the 1st book to be released and can't wait til I hear back on 1st round edits. With any luck, maybe I can get 3-4 books published this year!