The Feast after the Famine by Kait Carson

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen my name attached to anything beyond blog posts. So long that I was beginning to wonder if I was a writer or a wannabe. Scary thought, that. I mean, if I wasn’t a writer who was I? Don’t answer. That’s exactly what I was afraid of. So, I am pleased and grateful to announce that good news on the publication front is afoot. January and February bring a bumper crop of publications and some of these efforts come with a learning curve.

 

Death by Blue Water, a novel originally released by Henery Press, is re-released in Kindle form on Amazon. My rights reverted in 2019 and I dithered mightily over the next step. Would anyone care about a previously published novel? The fact is, I cared, and while the first two books of the series were previously published, there is a third book that wasn’t. Decision made. The book released on January 24^th. I needed to learn formatting, I was fortunate to have Polly Iyer design my cover, and I decided that unless it sells well, I’m leaving it as a Kindle.

 

Being my own publisher was new territory. To compensate for my learning curve, I put the book on pre-order to give me the opportunity to correct any missteps. I wouldn’t do that again with a re-release, but I will with new material. I have also been careful to specify that the book is a re-release. Anything else feels dishonest to me. Now that it’s out there, I’m eager to flex my publishing muscles with the next one. There has been one nice surprise – copies of my backlist are also selling. I hadn’t expected a cross-series effect.

 

Yesterday the Seventh Guppy Anthology Hook, Line, and Sinker released. I was Guppy president when the first anthology was in the planning stages, so there is a lovely symmetry to the publication. This is the first time I’ve written a story for consideration in the Guppy anthologies, and the acceptance of my story, “Gutted, Filleted, and Fried”, thrilled me. The anthology topic is cons and their marks. It was delicious to write a tale where no one dies and deceit rules.

 

I’d like to give a shout out to blog members Susan Van Kirk, Debra Goldstein, and Jim Jackson for all they did to bring this anthology to life, and for keeping me, and twenty-two other writers, in line and on task! Let me not omit deepest thanks to non-blog members Carol L. Wright, who worked with Debra herding the writer cats, and of course, Emily P.W. Murphy for her stellar editing and cover design.

 

Our serial story, Broken Hearted Killers, a gift to Writers Who Kill readers, will premiere on February 1^st and run through the 18^th. This was such a fun project. I’d never been involved in a multi-author serial story before. Watching the story evolve week by week was a hoot and an education. When my turn came, I was paralyzed with fear that I wouldn’t live up to the high-quality writing that went before. In the end, I took my courage in both hands and decided to just have fun. I’m hoping our readers will agree it works.

 

The month will round out with publication of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Lessons Learned from my Cat. It’s no secret I’m a cat lover. My story, “Blood is Thicker than Water”, recounts a 2012 Thanksgiving week night when someone dumped two kittens and a mama cat in my yard. Catching kittens is like winning a greased pig contest. They’re fast and wily. If Cub hadn’t been so protective of his littermate Piper, the story would have ended differently. Piper and Cub, the kittens, and Jenny the mama all found their furever home that night. Cub is on my desk as I write this.

 

It's been quite a busy two months after a long, fallow, period. I hope to do it again soon.

 

Writers and readers, how has the start of 2023 been for you?