Tomorrow, I am going to Staunton, VA, about 2 hours south of where I live in Northern Virginia, for a book signing for The Travelers at the Sacred Circle Bookstore. Just a few months ago I visited Staunton for the first time. As I walked the streets, I fell in love the quaint small town – the classic, narrow 3 story buildings pressed together lining brick sidewalks, the large windows inviting me into the stores, the street lamps, the restaurants. (It also helped that Staunton’s main street has 3 book stores in a one block radius, one of which is Sacred Circle.)
This weekend I will be in Staunton, VA signing my book, The Travelers, at the wonderful Sacred Circle Bookstore and Gift shop. (If you live or happen to be nearby come and see me!) Sadly, finding a bookstore like this one is rare. While I love my local Barnes and Noble (I will take any place where I can get physical books), I miss the small book retailers, the unicorns of the book world. There are so few now. But, they can still be found, check out a few here.
Today I walked outside, a bright sun shone like a spotlight on all the vibrant reds, mellow yellows, and perfect peaches still clustered in the trees. The rest of fall crunched on the ground beneath my feet. It reminded me of... Continue Reading →
Oh passive voice, the bane of my writing existence, along with idioms and the use of semicolons. (I actually despise semicolons. Just start a new sentence!) But that is a rant for another time. As a newly published author, I probably struggled with passive voice the most. And through those struggles, along with the help of some very seasoned book editors, I think I’ve learned enough about the topic to provide some helpful (and abbreviated, for those of you with busy schedules) advice.
It's finally Halloween! My house didn't get egged or TP'd last night. So I guess my neighborhood had a quiet Mischief Night. Now comes the fun part! I can't wait to watch all the kids suit up and threaten to play tricks on people unless they give them treats. It's a weird sort of custom when you think about it. (So I try not to think about it.) Since it's Halloween, here are my 13 (seemed like an appropriate number) favorite Halloween costumes based on literary characters.
One of my favorite Halloween traditions is watching The Simpsons 'Treehouse of Horror'. This year 'Treehouse of Horror XXVII' already aired on October 16. But it's the year 2016 and if you haven't seen it yet, it's pretty easy to figure out a way. Or, if you prefer, check out one of the classic episodes from earlier seasons. Not sure which one to watch since there are 27 of them? Stay tuned and I'll help you out.
There are 12 days until October 31 and for #12 on my Halloween-themed blog countdown, let’s talk about witches. Clearly, I’m a fan of them since they’re the main characters in my book, The Travelers. But, today, I don't want to talk about fiction. I want to talk about real witches or those thought to be real.
K.L. Kranes 