This morning I have Kristy Tate, one of my Authors of Main Street friends, as my guest.Kristy contributed the novella Stuck With You to the Weddings on Main Street Box Set
which is now on sale for only 99cents.Who Is Kristy Tate?
Kristy Tate writes Women's Fiction with a dash romance, mystery and humor. Her debut novel, Stealing Mercy
, was on Amazon's Top 100 Historical Romance list for more than 15 weeks and spent 2 weeks as number 1. Her novel, The Rhyme's Library
, was a 2013 Kindle Review semi-finalist.Kristy studied English literature at Brigham Young University and at BYU's International Center in London. Although a long time resident of Orange County, California, where she lives with her family, Kristy's heart belongs in her hometown of Arlington, Washington, aka Rose Arbor, the fictional setting of her popular Rose Arbor Series.
Find Kristy Tate Online
Blog: http://kristystories.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KristyTateNovelist?ref=hl
Twitter: @kristyswords
About Beyond the Fortuneteller's Tent
When Petra Baron goes into the fortuneteller’s tent at a Renaissance fair, she expects to leave with a date to prom. Instead, she walks out into Elizabethan England, where she meets gypsies, a demon dog and a kindred spirit in Emory Ravenswood. As Petra slowly falls for Emory, she wonders if he really is who he seems, or if he is just as lost as she is. How can they have a future while trapped in the past? Or is anything possible Beyond the Fortuneteller’s Tent?
Getting Beyond I-Hate-My-Book
by Kristy Tate
That Was Then
On Friday, I decided that I hated my book. Totally unrealistic and pointless. Who time travels? No one. I don’t personally know anyone who’s ever time traveled even a few minutes, let alone 400 years.
So, in an effort to make valuable use of my time, I decided to sew pillows. (My mother, a gifted seamstress would have been so proud.) I went to the fabric store, found fabric, cut fabric, paid for fabric, came home and put fabric on my daughter Natalie’s bed, pleased with how it coordinated with the walls, bedspread and lampshades.
Natalie came home from school and discovered the pillows in embryo. “What’s this?”
Me. “Isn’t it darling? I’m making pillows for your bed.”
Natalie. “No thank you.”
“What?”
“I don’t want fancy pillows on my bed.”
A pointless argument ensued and ended with, “I’ll just put them on your bed after you leave for school.”
Followed by, “I’ll just take them off and hide them.”
All this finding, cutting, paying and arguing was not a valuable use of my time. My mother would not be proud. I decided I should stick with characters of my own imagination who would welcome fancy pillows with tears of gratitude. (Anyone want some fabric?)
Fast Forward To Now
Three and half years later. It’s interesting that soon after this, I put Beyond the Fortuneteller’s Tent away and didn’t look at it, or think about it for at least two years. It was Natalie, (fancy-pillowless Natalie) who came across the manuscript, read it, loved it, and begged me to write the sequel.
I published Beyond the Fortune Teller’s Tent three years later in December of 2013. A lot has happened since then. I walked away from a life-long dream. As Borders and other large book stores closed around me, I decided to self-publish my books. You can read about that decision here, here and here.
As time passes, I've become more and more grateful for the path that led me away from traditional publishing and helps me live a life I love, filled with an enormous amount of people that I love, and a creative pursuit that keeps me entertained almost every day.
And a benefit, one that I never anticipated or foresaw, I get to meet and become friends with a wide circle of talented writers (like Joan). I’m constantly amazed by the generosity and goodness of the indie community. I’m so happy to be here! Thanks, Joan, for letting me drop by.
Giveaway
If you would like to win an e-copy of Beyond the Fortuneteller’s Tent, leave a comment telling us where you would be if you could go anywhere and to any time.
Buy Beyond the Fortuneteller's Tent
In case you don't win a copy of Kristy's book, here's where you can buy it for a very low price.
Amazon Kindle Edition
Smashwords Edition
Takeaway Truth
After you've read Beyond the Fortune Teller's Tent, be sure and grab the Weddings on Main Street
Box Set, now on sale for only 99cents.
Oh, I love this. It's pretty much the same reason I started making quilts. Fortunately the quilts were recipient friendly! (I must also admit my seams are crooked enough my mother wouldn't be proud either.)
ReplyDeleteGood morning, Liz! Had to laugh about the crooked seams. You know the Amish always made a small mistake in each of their quilts because to create something perfect would be an affront to God since only He is perfect.
ReplyDeleteLove this. My mom was a seamtress extraordinaire, an amazing cook, and could grow anything. But, she did not pass any of that on to me. :( Love being part of the Authors of Main Street with everyone.
ReplyDeleteHey, Jill! You may not have learned THOSE skills, BUT you are a pretty darn good writer! *g*
DeleteAt the moment I have the sewing machine out. My husband hates it when I'm between books. He loves my writing because it's not messy, noisy or expensive (and sewing is all of those things. Not to mention the random pins. He really hates stepping on pins.)
ReplyDeleteI too love to sew. I had big plans to sew this summer, but I still don't have my sewing supplies unpacked from the move. Sheesh, 6 months and I'm still not completely unpacked. I switched to Tpins or those with the big colored ball head. Easier to spot those suckers if I drop some.
DeleteYes! Pins with big balls! A must for sewing!
DeleteGreat post, I have never had the patience to sit for hours and sew. I tried it once, with my mother, as a senior in high school. I haven't touched a sewing machine since. LOL
ReplyDeleteTrying to line up seams is beyond me. Yet, I can sit and line up a story line, writing away for hours. Let's hope I am meant to be a writer, because I sure as heck wasn't meant to be a seamstress! Great post, it's always fun to learn new things about authors and friends whom you enjoy so much!
Time is the despotic ruler of the writer's world. There is never enough doled out for all we want to do.
DeleteI make those no-sew blankets--you know the kind with all the knots holding them together--does that count?
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful to be among good friends like the Authors of Main Street crowd!
The last time I sewed anything was two kids ago when I made maternity clothes! (He's 28 now)
Kristy, I love the story you posted today and I'm looking forward to reading your time travel novel, Beyond the Fortuneteller's Tent!
The last time I knitted was when my youngest was a baby. I worked on this cute little blanket until she was 9 months old when I abandoned the project. World's slowest knitter. The baby it was for is now in her early thirties. *g*
DeleteI had a garage sale a few years back and my granny squares wound up in it.They were intended for a bed covering. But at the time I taught my oldest daughter how to do them. Hers were trimmed in white. How many years later...? That oldest daughter's daughter's step-mom apparently bought that bag of white-trimmed squares and she put together an afghan for my granddaughter. There's a whole lot of family in that afghan. Both my granddaughter and her step-mom were floored to discover the history behind the squares.
DeleteE. I love stories like this! My daughter found applique turtle squares like for a crib quilt at a garage sale back when she was in college. She's a Delta Zeta and turtle is the mascot. My mother used the squares to make a crib quilt/lap quilt the year before she passed. When Adina had all that surgery and then blood clot and almost died, she cuddled under that quilt when she came home from the hospital and was so terribly ill. It was her sorely needed blankie. Makes me teary-eyed as I type this. She plans to use it in her baby's nursery one of these days.
DeleteI love to sew also. I don't do it often though. My machine is covered with writing supplies. :) I remember a skirt I made in Home-economics. I detested that fabric, kind of a rusty/mustard shade. I've made a few pillows, but have no idea what happened to them. Loved your post, Kristy!
ReplyDeleteMy machine cabinet is a sorting table for office supplies. *g*
DeleteWhen I loose my drive and love of whatever story, I make candles;that is if I've restocked all my candle making supplies. It doesn't make the writing any easier or any better for that matter, but it does scent the house wonderfully :). Your cover is lovely. Glad you finished that book!
ReplyDeleteHey, you're unique. A candle maker. It sounds so quaint and lovely.
DeleteLove the persistence! I'm slogging my way through the 105th rewriting of a novel and sometimes I have to put it away as well. If you are in Orange County Kristy, you should join the O.C.Writers. We have a free workshop coming up on self-publishing. It would be fun to meet you.
ReplyDeleteHello, Greta. Thanks for dropping by. OMG the 105th rewrite? Just shoot me now! Confidentially, I quit counting the number of times I go through a manuscript. It's just too depressing. *g*
DeleteHey! Tell me about OC Writers. Candle making...that sounds not too messy, noisy or expensive, and way more productive than bath-taking or chocolate eating.
ReplyDeleteMy sewing machine is broke. That thing that refills the bobbin broke and it's part of the shaft that runs the machine. No more sewing for me!
ReplyDeleteGlad you are writing, Kristy! And super glad to have you as an Author of Main Street! (But if you get back into the mood to do more pillows...I'd love them!)
:-)
E. As much as you write, I don't think you have time for sewing--or anything else. Girl, when do you sleep?
DeleteI love Kristy's writing, and it's a great book.
ReplyDeleteHello, Emma. Thanks for dropping by. I love meeting my friends' fans. Come back and visit again. Tomorrow, paranormal author PJ MacLayne will be on the blog.
DeleteMy mother too was an excellent seamstress and fashion designer. As for me I used to drop my needle at the beginning of each sewing lesson I was forced to attend in school. Why learn when Mom could do it so well. I have a sewing machine and eventually I learned enough to shorten the long hem and tighten things. I even sew a few outfits for my daughter that Mom fixed and managed to make them look lovely. Since Mom passed away I stopped sewing. I just write.
ReplyDeleteYou just write, and you do it so well. *g*
DeleteThere are usually a couple of "I hate my book" phases I go through...and one is when I do the final read of the galley/ARC -- I'm doing that now. I hate my book.
ReplyDeleteI discovered early that I didn't have much patience for sewing. I can crochet, though, and use that to feel "productive" when I'm watching TV.
Hey! Thanks for dropping by. I guess we all do the "I hate my book" thing a few times from inception to publication. Maybe that hate stage has to be endured to create books readers love.
Delete