Welcome to a different kind of Wednesday! First of all, it’s my birthday. Happy birthday to me! Secondly, we have a returning guest. I know what you are thinking…it’s Wednesday, not Friday…guest authors are on Friday. Well, this is a special guest and I made an exception. My friend who I have never met in person, author Kadee Carder, has added a new book to her repertoire. And I just had to introduce you to it.
Some of you may remember Kadee from her Insurrection Trilogy. I met Kadee through our common publisher, Clean Reads. Kadee stands out because of how she truly inspires other authors and helps everyone along on their journeys. Not only their writing journeys, but where they are in life. That is a special quality and I admire her for it. But, let’s jump right in and get to her book!
Hey, Kadee! Thanks for being on my blog today. I’m excited to hear about your newest release. What was the inspiration for Here Be Dragons?
My preacher introduced the idea that people who do not know God are simply prisoners of war. What better way to free prisoners than by love? What better way to fight darkness than with light? Do we work on earth to accomplish material things or do we share encouragement, love, inspiration, and good works in the name of someone much greater than ourselves? Do we humbly help and teach? We humans aren’t just here on this planet to make money or fill time. We are here for life, and a life full. God put each of us here, doing good work he created long ago for us to do. We don’t do any of it for our glory or success, but to free the prisoners of war.
For those who are meeting you for the first time, tell us…did you always want to be a writer? If not, what did you want to be when you were a child?
I wanted to be an astronaut when I was a child. I dreamed of walking in the big, puffy white suit and dancing on the moon. Now I guess my sci fi novels are the best way for me to get there!
What suggestions do you have to help me become a better writer?
To become better at anything, two words a wise woman once told me: Persistence. Consistency.
Write every day, and teach others to write. Make a list of words you misuse or overuse, and in editing, yank those suckers out of there, especially passive voice (is, was) and unnecessary words like “that” and “there.”
That is the truth! Good words. We are always learning from each other. Speaking of…as you know, we learn directly and indirectly (through reading others’ works). What are you currently reading?
I’m currently reading Royally Entitled by Melody Delgado.
Another Clean Reads author…and in my genre! I think you will find it a delightful read.
I always set a mood when I write… What kind of music, if any, do you listen to when you write?
I adore 90’s punk rock like Angels and Airwaves, Blink 182, Green Day, Skillet, and epic music like Imagine Dragons. If it’s a good workout song, I probably dig it, especially for my battle scenes.
Neat. I wouldn’t have imagined any different 🙂 Do you have a favorite time of day to write? What about a favorite place?
I love the night. While the stars shimmer, they whisper songs of hope and freedom. And secrets. My favorite writing process includes taking a nice, slow walk at dusk as the stars begin to fall, and then sit down in my media room at my desk and tap, tap, tap into the night. It’s a fabulous evening when I can process the gravel of the road, the crunch of shoes upon pavement, and the whispering of life through the trees’ dancing.
Wow. How inspiring! How long does it take you to write a book?
Every book works differently! Insurrection began as my thesis for my Master of Fine Arts degree and I wrote the first draft in a month. Then in editing I chunked the first 30,000 words and added way too many in about two more months. Incomplete took approximately three months, and Indelible approximately four or five. Here Be Dragons I worked on for about four or five months.
My most recent manuscript took seven because I’ve been teaching more consistently, researching, and learning about mindset shifts. In his memoir On Writing, Stephen King wrote a manuscript shouldn’t take more than three months or the characters/plot get convoluted. I have to agree that the seven-month journey with this last novel was too long and I had several edits to help navigate some inconsistencies I discovered, but again, every novel has its own life and discovery. I needed to learn certain lessons before I could write the book, and time is one of the best teachers of all.
I love how you call it a journey. It truly is. You take a journey with your characters. Sometimes you map the path they take, sometimes they go “off trail” with you.
I have to ask…could you tell us something about your newest release that is NOT in the blurb.
While researching Australia and all of its beautiful locations, I walked the streets of Perth in Google Earth. Off the coast of Perth lies an island named Rottnest Island. It’s home to a cute lighthouse, several hotels and camp grounds, and beautiful beaches. I decided my characters just HAD to spend some time there facing their monsters. I mean, if you’ve got to train for your life, shouldn’t you get to do it in an exotic locale with fabulous sunsets?
I can so picture it! One last question before I let you go: Do you have any current projects you’re working on? Care to share?
I recently submitted a finale for my Alliance Military Guard characters to my publisher and I’m hoping to get a contract for it. I’ve done a lot of mindset work recently, on dealing with rejection and facing your fears. What does a hero do when she’s faced her fears…and they killed her? All people contend with a cup of wrath, a yoke, and a cross to bear. You must believe in yourself, your Alliance, and consider challenge an opportunity for growth. These ideas are what I’ve put into the fifth and final book with my Alliance characters.
Sounds like a great way to tie up a series. Thank you, Kadee, for joining me again on the blog and for your time. Now it’s time to turn our attention to Here Be Dragons and give the readers a little taste:
Here Be Dragons
Alliance Military Guard sent the order. Sergeant Tucker Thompson acquiesced. Hopping on a plane to his long-lost Australian birthplace, he’s been charged with his toughest mission yet. Thompson must rally his company of soldiers to prevent a new generation of weaponry from breaching the world’s borders.
Pound the war drums. Rattle the cages. Here be Dragons.
Enjoy an Excerpt
Creeping through the sultry space, footsteps steady and stealthy, we readied our weapons. Blood and fire pulsed through my veins like they’d done so many times in training. This was the game, after all. These Alliance builders loved their long hallways.
Our rustling stirred up dust underfoot, and cement beams overhead groaned in disuse.
“How many feet‘re we underground ya think?” Hawk asked from the back of the line.
“Don’t ask.”
Flashlights and head lamps illuminated the way before us, stark tile work on the ground cracked and chipped. With every few feet we advanced, the walls became more fractured and peeling, as if a wave of tremors had rippled outward from the explosions of the bombing. Like vines along the paint, crevices in the cement grew substantial and entangled. Cautious and wary, we proceeded.
After several minutes of quiet steps echoing along the corridor, someone’s beam of light caught a fleck of darkness upon the wall.
“What’s that?” Norita asked.
Burkman shined his light to the scrawled paint upon the wall. The black paint dripped the warning: Beware.
Buy Link
Purchase here be dragons on kindle unlimited for only $4.99:
More About the Author
Fierce yet sparkly, I help seekers find brave new worlds. The goal is magic, the medium is ink, and the fuel is coffee. And sometimes pizza. I teach English on the university level when I’m not dancing around the living room with my family, lifting heavy at the gym, traveling the planet, or binging superhero shows.
The INSURRECTION trilogy, Here Be Dragons, and non-fiction inspirational Ignite roll out perilous motives, twisty plots, and daring protagonists. Grab some real estate and your copy of my latest adventure, and follow along at KadeeCarder.com.
Connect with Kadee and Her Books
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And please feel free to subscribe for encouraging blogs! Kadeecarder.com
I’m giving away a free, empowering e-book to those who subscribe to my email list at kadeecarder.com. Titled IGNITE, the 60-page book offers a serving of inspiration, a dash of hope, and a cup of grace to help you get kickin’ on those challenging tasks you’ve got to do!
GIVEAWAY
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