I took several wrong turns before I found it, tucked away just off a busy intersection next to a restaurant selling chicken, a place called Sticks and Stones. It's not necessarily where you expect to find a magic shop or, to be more accurate, a spiritual store. Although where do most people expect to find a store like this? The moment I walked in to the cozy shop, it smelled appropriately of earthy incense...
I am new to the Harry Potter-verse and just finished book 1 (Sorcerer's Stone). I successfully survived reading it without breaking any of my daughter's rules for reading her book. Therefore, to celebrate finishing the first book and kicking off my introduction into the world of Harry Potter, here are my Top 10 favorite quotes from the first book!
If you live in the US, you've heard the story of Martin Luther King, Jr, Civil Rights leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner, historical icon, and dreamer. Yes, we all know the refrain "I have a dream." Some heard these words live. Many more of us learned about it in our history books...
I wrote a book about witches (The Travelers) and it includes magic, prophecies, tarot readings and such.You know, the things witches are made of. As I wrote the book, I did a little bit of research on the internet regarding tarot cards and their meanings. Beyond that, I just used my imagination. Now, I'm working on book 2 of The Travelers and I want to take my research beyond the internet. What better way than to find a real tarot reader, right? Totally easy, right? Wrong.
First, you write a book. Then, you try to get an agent or you try to get a publisher. Or you try to get both. Let's say you're successful. That feels amazing. But, unless you're one of the lucky few who lands a big-time publisher who thinks you are worthy of a mass marketing campaign, being a published author doesn't mean you just get to write for the rest of your life and watch the checks roll in. Here are a few lessons on being an author (both from my experiences and the experiences of others.)
I am admittedly prone to girl crushes. I think it all started with Princess Allura of Voltron. Don't know who she is? Well before there were the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, there was Voltron (Defender of the Universe). A giant robot made up of 5 flying mechanical lions. OK, it sounds kind of stupid when I write it down. But, whatever, stay with me. As a kid, it was awesome...
So, it's now 10 days into 2017. (10 already? Time goes so fast!) I'm back to my relatively regimented schedule of working, writing, laundry, cleaning, etc, basically, all the stuff of a peaceful daily life. Once we (the proverbial "we") get back in our routines after a vacation or big event, I think we can start to forget all the great memories we've made. They get buried under all the new things we're doing, like an old photograph that gets lost in the bottom of a box for years or maybe forever. So, before I forget them all, I want to document my top 10 best moments of the 2016 vacation holiday season (in no particular order)!
I went to the monthly book club meeting of the Nightlighters last night. This month we read Where Do They Go? by Julia Alvarez (Author) and Sabra Field (Illustrator). Yes, your eyes aren't deceiving you. It's a children's picture book. OK, you might be skeptical. A children's picture book for an adult book club...
Yesterday I undertook the daunting task of taking down a book-mas tree (tree made entirely of books). Today, I've got some advice for anyone doing the same thing or just trying to organize your bookshelf...
K.L. Kranes 