Author: Katie L. Carroll (Page 12 of 144)

Getting Back to In-Person Author Events

May 17, 2021 / Katie L. Carroll

I’m very excited, and also a little nervous, to announce that I will be attending my first in-person author event next month! It’s outdoors, everyone will be required to wear a mask, virus numbers are looking good in my state, and I’ll be fully vaccinated, so I think it’s the right time. Though socializing on this scale will definitely take some getting used to.

The event is on Saturday, June 5, 2021 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Granby Public Library. I was pleased to see a couple of familiar names on the list, including Cindy L. Rodriguez and Steve Parlato. I did an event with them way back in 2015 at the Avon Public Library, so it’ll be a fun reunion of sorts.

From left, authors Katie L. Carroll, Steve Parlato, Cindy L. Rodriguez, and Anissa Zucker at the Avon Library YA/Teen Author Night

Getting back into in-person author events has me thinking about past events, so I’ll leave you with a few pictures from those.

Stuck In The Writing In-Between

April 22, 2021 / Katie L. Carroll

I’m currently in between big writing projects, and I’m having trouble getting out of that space. Some of that is because there are things currently out of my control in regards to what happens next in my writing career, so it’s hard to look too far in the future. Which makes it hard to commit to anything big right now–mainly on deciding what novel I want to write next.

I did have a sort of break planned where I was going to read and catch up on some non-writerly stuff…and wait and see where my muse takes me next. I’ve definitely done this, and worked on some smaller projects in the meantime. All those small projects have turned out to be on the quirky side, so I’m not really sure what to do with them.

It’s not that I don’t have novel ideas (I literally have notebooks of ideas stashed away); it’s more that I can’t quite seem to figure out what one is calling to me the loudest. There’s also the consideration about what makes sense to work on next as far as my career goes, and that brings me back to having to wait to see where those things out of my control shake out.

The waiting is part of the business of writing. I’m growing impatient with the waiting, though. My fingers are itching to get to work. My dreams (like the sleeping kind, not goals and aspirations) have gotten even weirder than those small projects I’ve been working on, which is a sure sign that my brain is getting antsy to work on a big project.

I thought maybe writing this post out would help me have some insight into what to do next. But here I’ve reached the end and I still don’t know what to do.

White Noise Recommendations to Write Faster When You’re Feeling Unproductive

April 6, 2021 / Katie L. Carroll

Writing during the pandemic has been really different. I know some writers who have felt productive because they’ve had more time to focus on writing (lucky them!), but many others, like parents, who haven’t been able to fit in writing time. Then there are the writers who may have the time but can’t find the focus.

This was from the days when I used to write at the cafe…the good old days!

I totally get it! At the beginning of the pandemic when the of five us were home all the time, I thought it would be a long time before I figured out a way to fit in writing.

But then I talked to a friend who had been getting up early to write and I (virtually) joined in on her sessions. Naturally, I blogged about this in “WIP Update: Witchy Middle Grade & a Fear of Asking for Help”.

This was back in June 2020, and since then I’ve basically written and revised an entire 59,000-word middle grade novel and worked on a few smaller pieces as well. It’s a level of productivity I couldn’t have imagined achieving this time last year, but I’m not here to brag about this (even if I am proud of it!).

I’m here to say that it’s okay to be unproductive, especially when facing a global pandemic. I basically did a whole webinar with tips on how to be more productive as a parent writer (which is good for any busy writer) where I also tried to help listeners feel okay about not writing. You can watch it for free or check out any of the other Indie Author Project Expert Sessions if you have the time. 😉

One thing that has really helped me to focus has been listening to some kind of white noise. I find music with lyrics can be distracting while I’m writing. But instrumental music that has the right mood to fit what I’m working on or white noise is perfect for keeping my internal editor in check and my mind on task.

So let’s get to those white noise recommendations already!

Spotify is my go-to app when I want thematic instrumental music. There are a ton of pre-made playlists that you can use search for. For my witchy middle grade, my favorite was “spooky instrumental”. When I write fantasy, I’m partial to this “Fantasy Board Gaming” one.

For something more like white noise, I turn to YouTube. For spring, I’ve been listening to this “Spring Rain Sounds” one. When I want to feel cozy, I enjoy fireplaces and thunderstorms, like this Royal Library one.

My most recent discovery is a site called I Miss My Cafe where I can channel those cafe writing sessions I used to have. You can choose which sounds to listen to, from the barista calling out orders to other customers chatting in the background to street ambiance, and pick your volume. There is also Coffitivity, which isn’t as customizable but good nonetheless.

What do you like to listen to while writing or working?

Buy Signed Book Directly from Author Katie L. Carroll

March 29, 2021 / Katie L. Carroll

The big news this week is that I’ve set up a bookstore right here on my website! Now you can order signed copies of any of my four books directly from me, simply visit the Purchase Books page. If you’d like them personalized, follow the instructions on the page.

For those of you who may not be familiar with my books, here’s a little bit about each one. I think you’ll be able to find something for every young reader!

The Bedtime Knight – picture book

When the lights turn off at bedtime, a young mouse’s imagination runs wild. Daddy Knight charges in to the rescue and sheds light on what the shadows really are. Then he empowers his daughter to turn the scary shadows into fun imaginings. Written by Katie L. Carroll with illustrations by Erika Baird.

Pirate Island – middle grade fiction

A thrice cursed island, a legendary pirate treasure, and one not-so-brave boy. What could possibly go wrong?

For centuries, the whereabouts of Captain William Kidd’s lost pirate treasure has remained a mystery. When Billy’s best friend, Andy, proposes they look for it on nearby Pirate Island, Billy thinks it’s just another one of their crazy adventures. It’s usually Billy who ends up in trouble as a result, but he goes along for the ride…like always. The more he delves into the life and death of Kidd, the more he thinks the treasure is real and that it might be buried on the small island in Long Island Sound. Billy—nope, call him William—becomes obsessed with the captain of the same first name. He even believes he’s possessed by Kidd’s restless soul. Now he and the spirit of a long-dead pirate are leading the crazy adventure on Pirate Island. And what they find is far bigger than the treasure they imagined.

Elixir Bound – young adult fantasy

Take an epic journey in this award-winning young adult fantasy, winner of Best YA Book for the 2019 Connecticut Author Project! A young woman’s quest to become the next guardian of a secret healing Elixir is perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J. Maas

Katora Kase isn’t the firstborn son nor does she possess the type of magic that can conjure spells or bewitch others. In the land of the Great Peninsula—an epic fantasy world ruled by the Great Mother Nature and her offspring—those things aren’t a measure of one’s worth. And what Katora does possess is the subtle magic running through her blood that marks her as the next guardian of a secret healing Elixir that is her family’s legacy. It is such a highly guarded secret that Katora doesn’t know of its existence until a rare snowstorm blows through with a message for her father, the current guardian.

Katora sets off on a quest into the wilds of Faway Forest to find the flowers that give the Elixir its potency. Even though she is accompanied by her sister, her brother, an old family friend, and the handsome son of a mapmaker, she feels alone. For it is her decision alone whether or not to bind herself to the Elixir’s magic to serve and protect it until a new guardian is chosen. The forest hosts many dangers, including wicked beings that will stop at nothing to gain power, but the biggest danger Katora may face is whether or not to open up her heart to love.

ELIXIR SAVED – young adult fantasy

Three lives saved by the Elixir; three lives bound by it.

The Elixir entwines the lives of those it touches. Once upon a time, Kylene, Zelenka, and Devon tasted it and escaped death. None were left without scars. Now, a shocking message from the Ice Queen—one of Mother Nature’s higher beings—sends each survivor on a quest. Kylene travels to the frozen depths of Blanchardwood, Zelenka heads back to the wilds of Faway Forest, and Devon journeys to a reclusive mountain temple. The three paths converge in a war against an ancient and tricky foe. And even the Elixir cannot save everyone. The fate of the world balances on the edge of a sword, and the outcome depends on whether the survivors will sacrifice their second chances.

Escape back into the world of the Great Peninsula in this much-anticipated sequel to the award-winning ELIXIR BOUND.

Email Ebooks to Kindle for Self-Publishers to Edit and Format Their Books

March 9, 2021 / Katie L. Carroll

With the popularity of my new Self-Publishing Resources page, I’ve decided to share some self-publishing tips and tricks on the blog as well. First up is the trick of emailing your ebooks and documents to show up directly on your Kindle ereader.

I like to do this for when I’m doing my own copyedits on a manuscript, but it can work for any point in the editing process when you feel like you need a different perspective on a story you’ve already read a bunch of times. Similar to printing out a physical copy of a manuscript, taking a look at it in a new format can do wonders for catching things you might have missed.

This is also useful for seeing what the actual ebook will look like in the Kindle ereader when you’ve gotten to the formatting stage. It’s nice to be able to see what a reader will actually experience before uploading those final files.

You can read your critique partner’s work this way as well. Book reviewers might also find this useful if they have ebooks sent directly to them by publishers and want to read it on their ereader.

The first thing you need is the have your document ready. If you are doing this to check your formatting, I recommend sending the actual file that you will be uploading for distribution so you get the most accurate look at your ebook the way readers will see it. UPDATE: Starting August 2022, you’ll no longer be able to send .mobi files to your Kindle, but .epub files are now acceptable to send.

Then you want to make sure the email account from which you are sending the document is on your approved list. To add an email to this list, navigate to the “Manage Your Content and Devices” section of your Amazon account and follow these directions.

Then it’s time to find the email address for you specific Kindle device. This is not the email that’s associated with your Amazon account, but a unique email address for the Kindle app in each of your devices. It’ll be some form of whatever your username is with @kindle.com. Directions for finding this email can be found here, which also lists the different types of files that are supported.

Then you simply attach the document in an email from your approved email account and send it to your Kindle email account, and voila, the manuscript will show up in your Kindle ereader of choice. Written all out like this looks like a lot of steps, but once you have approved your email and found your Kindle email, it’s just a matter of sending the document.

I’d love to hear if there are any specific topics self-publishing topics you’d like me to cover here on the blog.