*KEEP READING FOR NEW BOOK INFO!* Remember... oh last year (and the year before last) when I released 5-8 books? Yeah. And remember this year when I've not... released... any... I have excuses. I have finished a book. I've queried it and it is out with a few agents :) Who knows what will happen to it (which is really exciting) I ALSO have a new book coming out SEPTEMBER 13th! Today is the official title reveal. Are you ready? READY? My new book, a paranormal suspense, is called BETWEEN THE DREAMING AND THE DEAD. DATES TO REMEMBER AUGUST 14th-- last day to sign up to be a part of the cover reveal (CLICK HERE to sign up) or go to: http://bit.ly/BDDCoverReveal AUGUST 13 and 30th-- ARCs will be distributed AUGUST 23rd-- COVER REVEAL SEPTEMBER 13th-- Book Release Day! Between those times, there will be prizes, games, parties, teasers, etc. Be sure you have joined my newsletter for all the up-to-date info and follow me on twitter and instagram for book updates. AND LASTLY... Between the Dreaming and the Dead is already on Goodreads! You can add it to your TBR pile today. I suppose I should tell you what it's about. Jake Austin finds himself standing in the middle of a dirt road, looking at an old farmhouse with no memory of how he got there. It isn’t the first time he’s been somewhere and not remember how—but it is the first time he’s woken up alone. Valley Draper has lived in the farmhouse for as long as she can remember. It might be haunted, but nothing comes without a price. When the handsome if not confused Jake comes in like he owns the place, Valley decides quickly that he needs a rude awakening. With a storm coming closer and time ticking away, can Jake find a way back home? Or are he and Valley stuck in a place that is much more than either of them bargained for? Keep checking for updates. I'm so excited to share this book with you! It's one of my favorites (Jake and Valley... awwww!)
Live your dreams. Write your nightmares, Kelly www.kellymartinbooks.com
2 Comments
I admit that when I switched from writing contemporary and fairy tale retellings to "horror" I got a few strange looks... and messages... and "Um... what?" moments. It's not easy switching genres in the best of circumstances, but when you switch to something like paranormal and horror, people start to question. You start to question ;) But the cool thing about horror is that it doesn't have to be gory and graphic and bloody. YES, some of the best stories are and YES sometimes a story needs it to be told well, but from what I've learned horror and gore aren't synonymous. I have some answers to some of your burning horror ponderments. Keep reading... I want to read horror, but I don't like blood...
It seems like an easy thing, doesn't it?
Link your blog to Goodreads... Everything coming together in harmony and love. Except, No. Because though after spending two hours working on it this glorious Friday night, I am unable to figure out how to do the most basic of things (mainly delete the HTML... sigh) I finally got the RSS feed going. Glory Hallelujah! I finally got the RSS link. AMEN! But figuring out how to take the call out box off, well, that was way too much for me. However, tomorrow is another day. The sun will rise. The birds will sing. Words will be written. And that dang HTML will still be on Goodreads. For that, I'm sorry. For that... I'm sorry. --Kelly M. (who is a better author than website-er)
Ah... 2018.
A week into it and we have either failed entirely on our goals or didn't make any goals to start with... I kid. I'm sure some of you have done amazing. YAY FOR GOALS! So far, I've done okay with mine. I made my fairly general this year instead of the strict STRICT ones I've had in years past. It occurred to me this morning that I haven't shared my 2018 writing goals/schedule.
Right? I'm just as upset as you are....
Here is my 2018 Writing Schedule/Goals/Things I Want to Do/List...
1. Query Again.
I'm expecting to query in February/March. I'm so freakin' excited about it! And nervous... really nervous... and excited...
2. Release 3 New Books This Year
So... yeah, that's a lot smaller of a goal than in past years. This is the first January in forever that I haven't had a release, and it makes me anxious. However, I'm using the time to write, read, not be so stressed-- which is nice. And who knows? This summer, I might write all the books for the fall (but 3 is the goal... or maybe 2...)
3. Scrivener My Heart Out
*That sounds painful*
I've always written in Word. Not that there is anything wrong with Word. I still use it and love it. However, I've had Scrivener for about 2 years, and it is about time to use it for all it's worth. (Mainly plotting because I've never been much of a plotter.)
Which leads to...
4. More Plot, Less Pants
*Let me explain that*
Throughout my writing career, I've always wrote linear as if watching a movie (as in writing by the seat of my pants.. pantsing). And it's served me well. For at least one book, I want to plot it out as much as I can before I write it. Just to say that I've done it. I might like it... who knows?
5. Be Content with my Content
This harkens back to my 'one word' for 2018-- Content. I've always written books I'm proud of, and I want to keep that going. I also want more blogs and vlogs because I do have things to say. Sometimes I just don't say it #allthewords #ohglory #content
So that's it!
That's my 2018 writing goals. Do you have any 2018 goals? I'd love to hear about them. Leave a comment :)
I made a video on my youtube channel about my reading goals for the year.
Here's to a great 2018.
Live your dreams. Write your nightmares.
MUCH LOVE, Kelly
Happy New Year!
I had a very... interesting 2017. Not a bad one in any way. Just an interesting one. A changing way, I suppose.
If you remember, and why wouldn't you ;), my 2017 "ONE WORD" of the year was FUN.
I did have fun... I did. But I didn't do as much with it as I wanted.
I kinda failed.
This year... my "ONE WORD" is CONTENT.
Want to hear my thoughts on why? Check out the video where I explain it all...
*2018: the year of 'content'ment
Basically, the short version is that I want to be CONTENT with my CONTENT (see what I did there ;) )
I do believe in big dreams and reaching for your goals. But something that I've been thinking about a lot lately is being CONTENT with now. I don't think it's easy. But I know it is a goal I want for my professional and my personal life. I'm actually really excited about it. #peace
Also I want to focus on CONTENT: content on my instagram, youtube (I've began my 30 second writer tips again), facebook, twitter, BOOKS... The one thing I do plan is actually less books in 2018. The last 2 years, I've put out 6-8 books a year and I just... I can't. Not do that and tell the stories I want. Not this year at least. We shall re-evaluate this next year ;)
ANOTHER THING that I think about probably more than I should is what genre to write next. I'm going to write about this on another blog post later, but it is something I think about a lot. Should writers stay in basically one genre? Is it okay to switch around? Do you need a pen name? I'll chat about all of those things later. I just want to be CONTENT with my CONTENT.
{How many times can I say CONTENT? Good thing there isn't a drinking game involved with this post...}
*2018 GOALS
*Publish at least 2 books
*Do a Reader Party for Dark and Deadly Things (January 30th)
*Increase book sales
*Open my manuscript document every day (that doesn't mean I have to type in it, but I have to at least OPEN it)
*Seek opportunities to speak on writing and publishing
*Post at least 1 youtube video every week
*Read 12 books (that is a lot for me...)
*Have 'grace' with myself. As Sherlock told John, we are all just human... even you.
*AND-- this one makes me laugh, but it is a goal so here it is-- get 10,000 instagram followers...
{I have 1354 right now ;) }
*Conclusion
2017 was a much needed year. 2018 is a much anticipated year. I'm so glad I get to share it with you!
*TELL ME
What is your word of 2018? How did your 2017 go? Leave a comment and let's chat!
Live your dreams. Write your nightmares.
Much Love, Kelly
Hello :)
Do you love technology? (I know, that's a very weird way to start this... I'm sorry). I always say that my technology skills stopped at the CD player. It isn't that I hate technology, it's that sometimes, it feels like technology hates me. Things come in my house and just kinda die... course it might be my house more than me (I live in an old farm house that is over 100 years old and was renovated in about the 80s... so yeah. No telling what sort of energy sucking things are in here, but I digress.) There is a point to this! The point is that with my lack of technological understanding, I miss out on a few things. I didn't get a smart phone until three years ago because I didn't think I could handle it. GOOD NEWS, though. I've learned if I just shut it off and turn it back on, normally it fixes itself #miracle. Also, yes, I've had the same phone for three years. It works... I'm usually the last person to download an app or join a service. Though I am pretty good at youtube now and I can do instagram and all that. I've never been on the cutting edge of any app... UNTIL NOW (I feel so cool). There is this new app called INKLO. You can download it for free at inklo.com. No, they aren't paying me to tell you about them, but I AM excited because I'm part of the inklo family! The app just came out in May, and I'm already a member/writer. This is huge for technologically deficient me. (Look out world. Kelly might get an iPad soon... doubtful, but you know...) SO what is inklo? Inklo is what would happen if wattpad and instagram had a baby. Yeah, I'll let you picture that for a moment. Basically, it is an app where authors post episodes of stories and you can comment on parts you like, react to the story in real time, and find out behind the scenes secrets about the stories. DID I mean it is FREE? My first story on there is called SHIVER.
I love it! I love Ellis (she's so cool) and Noah (an oh so handsome ghost hunter). Then there is Ada... a 10 year old ghost who totally isn't going to murder you. Nope... totally. Totally not.
Most people won't buy a haunted house. Ellis Whitaker needs it. With the rise of home renovation shows and ghost hunting programs, Ellis decides it's about time someone combines the markets into one big house flipping/ghost adventure. She just has to convince a network to take a chance on an unknown like her. What's not unknown is the infamous Sanderson House and the tragedies associated with it. When Sanderson House comes on the market, she jumps at the chance to buy the dirt cheap mansion. Her first night there, handsome Noah Smith, who claims to be a paranormal investigator, knocks on her door and offers to help her with the spirit situation. She should have taken him up on his offer immediately because Sanderson House isn't your typical haunting. The ghosts can and will do anything they want. Anything to cause fear. Because that's what the house feeds on... fear. And it is very, very hungry.
Welcome to Sanderson House...
********************************************
I absolutely love this story and I think the app is really cool! I'd love for you to download it and become part of the inklo family. New episodes of SHIVER air every Sunday at 9 am central.
There are also other books on there from romance to scifi to adventure to thrillers.
IF you get inklo on your phone, let me know so we can connect. My username is @kelly (you know an app is new if *I* get @kelly lol)
*******************************************
THIS WEEK, I'm obsessed with (I do this on my newsletter, but I should add it here too...)
*Being Human (US)
*Finishing DDT5
*British youtubers (for some reason)
*Dark chocolate almonds (much needed)
*TIME from Inception
*Interview with the Vampire coming to TV
*Dunkirk (I want to see it, but I don't know how my feels will feel)
That's it :) How do you feel about technology? Does it love you? Hate you? Do you have a mutual relationship of trust and love?
What about inklo? Have you downloaded it? I hope so because Shiver is exclusively there, and I want you to get to read it. Seriously, I love these people. I love the house. Some houses are just evil and yeah... Welcome to Sanderson House (as they say).
Talk to you soon!
-Kelly
BONUS POINTS IF YOU KNOW WHERE THE TITLE OF THIS POST CAME FROM... LEAVE A COMMENT WITH THE ANSWER. I'LL GIFT THE FIRST PERSON WHO IS CORRECT A FREE eCOPY OF THE PECULIAR LIVES OF CIRCUS FREAKS. ![]()
It's Release Day!
I'm so excited about our anthology, The Peculiar Lives of Circus Freaks, releasing today, April 1.
My short story is called September 1st. I'm pretty sure you can get a general idea what it is about from the teaser... ;)
The 7 other amazing authors are Tia Bach, Author, Amy Evans, Allyson Gottlieb, Liz Long, Misty Paquette Provencher, Mindy Ruiz Books, and BJ Sheldon!! Thanks to Regina Wamba for her hard work on this beautiful cover!!
Buy links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lF2E1X
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2n7Hkzg
iBooks: http://apple.co/2mmPuoV
Nook: http://bit.ly/2n0bmbl
MUCH LOVE!
--KELLY
![]() First chapter of DARK AND DEADLY THINGS... It is a strange feeling in life to watch your ghost hunter of a father live on TV while eating popcorn next to your dead mother. That’s not entirely true. It’s a strange feeling to be sure, and my mother is most assuredly dead. But she isn’t next to me. She’s across the room, standing between the old mahogany grandfather clock that needs to be dusted and the old cabinet television that belonged to my grandma in the eighties. It doesn’t work anymore, the television that is. Now the cabinet is used as a stand for the newer TV version, one that I don’t have to get up and change the channels on. My mother looks like television static. She’s glitching, coming in and out of focus. Her white gown is splattered with dark, red blood. Her hair is black and soaking wet. If I didn’t know better, and I do know better, I’d say there would be a puddle of water under her when she disappears. But there won’t be. There never is. I hate to admit that I’ve looked before. Guess I’m a curious sort. I don’t know why my mother is in a white gown or why her hair is wet. The last time I saw her, she had on jeans and a black t-shirt. And I have no idea where the blood came from, and she can’t tell me. Oh she moves her mouth like she’s trying to communicate. She even screams at me sometimes, silent screams that break my heart and make me cover my eyes. I don’t want to see her. I don’t want to see any of them. They never found my mom’s body. I think she’s trying to tell me what happened to her, but I can’t make it out. I’m sorry about that. I’ve even tried the Electronic Voice Phenomena machines I used to use on the hunts. Heck, I got an EVP app on my phone to try to understand her. Nothing works. I’ve told her that many times. I’m not sure she believes me. I’m not sure I believe myself. I toss another popcorn kernel in my mouth and try my hardest to ignore her. She doesn’t make it easy. Voices from the television draw my attention. “Is there anyone here with us?” “God, Silas, these EMF readings are off the chart.” My mother glares in my father’s direction on the screen. She’s not happy with him. I can relate. She glares in my direction. She’s not happy with me. I can relate to that too. “Yeah, huge spikes in this corner too. Think we should do a reading?” Silas asks like he doesn’t know the answer. Like this isn’t one big scam, with every word and every camera angle painstakingly mapped out. I know this because up until six months ago, I was right there with them. Beside my father, gathering evidence and kissing Silas in dark corners in the supposedly haunted house on the night vision camera. It made the network happy. Truth be told, it made me happy. I truly thought Silas Ford loved me. I think he did at one time. I know I loved him. Then Mom died. Silas changed. And I turned twenty-one. After that, the world went to hell. Mom has glitched next to the window. I can see the curtains blowing through her. This won’t cause me to need therapy in the least. Somehow, I don’t think any therapist worth his or her salt will believe me anyway. The host, Stan, comes over to Silas and my dad, joining their EMF discussion. Stan reminds the viewers that we are live at Hale House, the sight of many violent hauntings. Mama and little girl Hale believe in the ghosts. The dad doesn’t. College-aged son, Abel, doesn’t either. He’s in the living room with the rest of the family, watching the ghost hunt unfold on the live feed along with the folks tuning in. The network has done a live Halloween event for the past five years. This is the one that means the most. Do or die. Canceled or renewed. I overheard my dad and Mr. Owens at the studio talking a few weeks before I quit. Ratings are way down, and they are having a dry ghost spell—a dry real ghost spell, that is. If they don’t get better evidence quick, it’ll be over with. No more Dark and Deadly Things. Little does Mr. Owens know that my dad faked evidence way before that. How do I know that? How indeed. My mom glitches again, and I throw another piece of popcorn in my mouth. I shouldn’t be watching the show. I should be out with my friends getting drunk or, at the very least, watching something that isn’t this. I don’t know why I’m curious about it. I guess I want to give my dad the benefit of the doubt. Even though he’s been faking ghost evidence for months, I want this time to be the real deal. Just once I want to think the best of him. My mother’s mouth moves, and her brows furrow. I suppose it’s bad to want real ghosts to be haunting the Hale House. I mean, from what I’ve gathered from Stan, a bastard who can’t keep his hands to himself, the little girl and the mom are pretty scared. The ghost, or whatever it is, has been knocking things around the house and slamming doors—typical things, in my experience. What makes this case unique is how adamantly the father is against it. Like he is living in complete denial. I’m rooting for the little girl. I know what it’s like to see things and have no one believe you. The show cuts to my dad and Silas walking into the living room with the mom, dad, sister, and brother Hale. The little girl, who can’t be older than six, is huddled in her mom’s lap. The mom looks equally scared. The dad… I think he’d rather be anywhere else. The son? He’s… He looks about my age and is pretty to look at. Brown hair that is a bit too long. A five o’clock shadow. I can’t tell what color his eyes are, but I can bet they are one thing… dreamy. My mom glitches and is gone. I’m sure she will turn up again sometime. I don’t mean to sound callous about my mom. I hate that she’s dead. I hate it so much. I love my mom, and at first I loved having her around, even in ghost form. But there’s nothing I can do for her. I can’t help her. I don’t know how she died, though I have an idea. Her body was never found. I want to help her, and I can’t. I want to make it better for her, and there’s no way. How can you save something that is already dead? How can you fix it? No one believes me. Not even my dad, world famous Ghost chaser Roger Morgan, believes me… and he’s paid to find ghosts. “We haven’t finished our investigation yet, but I wanted to sit you guys down and show you what we’ve found.” “You’ve found nothing,” I mumble to the television as I slurp my drink. “Because you are a big fake!” If there had been a ghost on television, I would have seen it. I don’t know why or how or when it started, but I’ve always been cursed to see ghosts, which, I suppose, is handy for a ghost hunter. Only my dad never believed me, and when I found out he was faking evidence, well, no matter how well Silas Ford kissed, I was gone like the wind. Of course, by that time, I don’t think it mattered much to Silas either. The family sits down at a large round table. The front door is to their back. The kitchen door is behind Silas and Roger. A hallway is to the family’s left. “I want you to take a listen to what we found,” my dad says. “Baby…” The EVP plays. “Baby.” “Baby!” The mom jumps up. “It’s saying baby. Did you hear that, John?” The father shakes his head. “Sounds like static to me.” Clearly not static to me and obviously not to the people watching. The show’s live twitter feed, which is scrolling on the bottom as it airs, is going crazy. One lady even claimed to see a black figure in the hallway beside the Hale family. Good Lord. Everyone in this world has gone mad. I suppose I have my father to thank for that. He used to catch real evidence. Now he manipulates millions of viewers. The little girl is shaking. My appetite is gone. “That’s not what I heard, Mommy.” She’s adamant about this. “It doesn’t say baby. It says her name. It says Molly. And it says it’s going to kill you and me because you made her do it.” “That’s enough!” John Hale slams his fist into the table, hushing the little girl instantly. She buries her face in her mother’s neck. “Stop this. Stop all of it. You faked the recording. I know you did! I’ve been reading up on you.” I sit up and put the bowl of popcorn on the table. Oh my… this might be getting good. “I haven’t. I’ve never…” “Don’t play stupid with me, Roger Morgan. I know all about you. Faking evidence when you can’t find any.” “You invited me here.” My dad sits up straighter, and his eyes cut to the camera and back to John. This is live television, people. My dad’s livelihood is on the line. If this goes sour, he loses everything… everything that’s important. He’s already lost me. “She invited you!” He points his finger accusingly at his wife whose face has turned the same color as my father’s. “She did! I think she’s filling my daughter’s imagination with nonsense!” My father puts his hands out as if to calm John Hale. “Listen, I haven’t faked anything…” Lie number one. “That said, I have something else to show you… something we caught…” The little girl shakes her mother’s shoulders. Even from here, I can see the fear in her eyes. “It doesn’t say baby, Mommy. It says Molly. It says it’s going to kill us because of you.” The mother pulls the daughter close and rocks her gently. The mom looks terrified. I would too if some ghost called Molly said she was going to kill me. The men aren’t paying attention to them. Of course they aren’t. My dad hasn’t paid attention when any female speaks in months. “If you just watch.” My father motions toward the computer screen next to him on the table. “I don’t want to see it. Get out of my house.” John Hale stands, as does my father. Silas stays sitting, and he smirks at the camera. “Sir, you do have ghosts here. I know you do! But I wanted to reassure you… reassure your wife and daughter that no matter what we caught on EVP, there’s no reason to be afraid. I don’t think it has any malicious intent.” John Hale’s eyes grow to be the size of saucers. “It said it was going to kill my wife and daughter, if you believe what Lindsey says! How much more malicious can you be?” “You said you didn’t believe it.” My dad, always the voice of reason. “You little…” While Mr. Hale and my dad get into a verbal fight, which I’m afraid will escalate into a physical one—not that the network would mind, they’d probably love the publicity—something on the TV screen catches my eye. It’s behind the family, in the hallway coming from the bedrooms. A black mass. And it’s coming fast. No… no… no! The hair on my arms stands up as I accidentally kick the coffee table, knocking the bowl over and scattering popcorn to the floor. No. I’ve only ever seen something like that one time. I don’t want to see it again. This one is moving so much faster than the last one! I fumble in my pocket until I find my cellphone and call my dad. He needs to get the family out. Now! They can’t go through what I went through! I hear his phone ring on television, stopping his fight with John mid-insult. He pulls the phone from his pocket and looks at the name. Then my father looks straight into the camera, straight into me. “Pick up the phone!” I scream. My mom glitches in front of the television. She’s yelling something at me, something I don’t have time to understand. Without thinking, I sling the coffee table out of the way and slide through her until my nose is right on the television screen. “Answer your phone!” The black mass glides through the doorway. “Dad!” I scream. “Answer the phone!” John Hale is still yelling at my father, but he is looking at the camera mounted toward the ceiling. Looking at me. He taps it a few times and shakes his head, as he puts the phone back into his pocket. “Dad, no!” I bang on the television harder. I end the call and fumble as I hit the redial button. He has to see it. He has to feel it. I can feel the mass from here. Dark, violent, evil. Sickening. The mass stops right behind my father. The little girl, Lindsey, points from the safety of her mother’s lap. Mary hugs Lindsey and grabs her son by the leg. “You’re not getting them!” she screams. The lights flicker. Then the TV goes to static. WELCOME TO THE DARK.
Blessed (or cursed) with the ability to see ghosts, Elise was a fixture on her dad's reality ghost hunting show, Dark and Deadly Things, until she realized her father faked the evidence just to get ratings. Now Elise is watching his Halloween special on live TV while eating popcorn next to her ghost of a mother. Something goes horribly wrong... Two members of the Halloween special's family are dead. One is missing and Elise's dad is the main suspect. Only Elise knows the truth. Only she saw what really happened to the family before the lights went out. Elise joins the only surviving member of the murdered family, Abel, to find the thing that destroyed both of their families-- find it and destroy it. How do you kill a ghost? Easy, you take on one paranormal case at a time until you figure it out. AVAILABLE NOW AMAZON US AMAZON UK FREE with KINDLE UNLIMITED About the Author: Kelly Martin is an Amazon bestseller and award-winning author. She loves abandoned house photography, ghost stories, and trying to figure out what goes bump in the night. She lives in the heart of Middle Tennessee, where all the cool ghost stories happen. Kelly loves supernatural TV shows, watching horror gamers on youtube, and driving around taking pictures of abandoned houses. All of which would make you assume Kelly is very brave... you'd be very wrong. She has to watch Sherlock safely behind her fingers at times. She has been married for over ten years, has three little girls, and a one-eyed cat named Sam. Subscribe to her newsletter to be notified of new releases: www.kellymartinbooks.com (click on "sign-up") If you ever have a question or comment, feel free to email her at [email protected] ♥ You can follow her writing adventure at http://www.kellymartinbooks.com/ CHAT WITH KELLY Youtube |
Follow Kelly...About Kelly MartinKelly Martin is an Amazon bestseller and award-winning author. She loves abandoned house photography, ghost stories, and trying to figure out what goes bump in the night. New Series Progress
60%
Books by Kelly Martin
Paranormal The Afterlife of Lizzie Monroe The Heartless Series (complete): Heartless Soulless Breathless Hart Reckless DDT Series (complete): Dark and Deadly Things Dark and Devious Things Dark and Dreadful Things Dark and Desperate Things Dark and Dangerous Things Fairy Tale Series (complete): Betraying Ever After The Beast of Ravenston The Glass Coffin Contemporary The Deception of Devin Miller B.I.G. is Beautiful: A Love Story YA Inspirational Crossing the Deep Love in the 80s Once Bitten, Twice Shy Current YOUTUBE videos
CategoriesArchives
June 2018
|