Kalayna Price

I hope that everyone is having a very happy holiday season! In the next couple days I'll probably do a post on some of my favorite books of 2011, but for now, I'd like to point you in the direction of some free and or/sale books by some of my favorite authors as well as a special promotion on one of my own books. I've, unfortunately, not had time to read most of the novellas I'm linking to yet, but like I said, favorite authors, so I have a lot of confidence in their quality.  First up is a free Kate Daniels novella by the writing team published as Ilona Andrews. Someone just directed me to it, and I haven't had time to read it yet, but it's a limited time offer, so I wanted to go ahead and link everyone. (I imagine that has spoilers for those of you not familiar with the series). Next on the list is the novella Easy Pickings written by Faith Hunter and C. E. Murphy. They both have a special fan discount on their sites. Which you can find HERE (Faith)...

As many of you know if you've seen me at events (or seen pictures from events), I like conversation pieces on my table. It started with a tombstone I picked up before the release party of Grave Witch and has slowly expanded since then. All of the items I display I can justify as tying into my books in some manner (though sometimes it's a stretch). From the tombstone fitting because Alex is a Grave Witch to my adorable little vamplet because of the vampires in the Haven novels, I consider them appropriate. But I've never actually had a table piece that tied directly into any of the books. Until now. Recently I commission artist Angela Woodruff to create a stuffed version of PC from the Alex Craft novels. We had several discussions about what he looks like and his personality before she started working and the end results just arrived today. What do you think? Isn't he adorable! I'm thrilled with the results, and he will definitely be making appearances at ...

There are milestones in every career. In publishing, the first of these milestones is probably the very first time you write the magical words "The End" followed by new markers at each stage of your career. Each is new and exciting, and I'm very happy to announce that today I've crossed one of those milestones. Today my very first foreign language book hits shelves! DER KUSS DER EWIGKEIT is the German language version of ONCE BITTEN , the first novel of Haven. As has probably become apparent in previous posts, I don't speak a word of German, so I'm using a translator. But,  to my new German readers who stumble on this post, I just want to say: Vielen Dank für das Lesen der Kuss der Ewigkeit! Ich hoffe, Sie genießen das Buch!  (That should translate to "Thank you for reading The Kiss of Eternity. I hope you enjoy the book!" --or at least I hope that's what it says and that I haven't announced I'm a jelly doughnut. ^_^) Have...

Hey everyone. This is a fly by post as I am counting down the hours (and words) until a looming deadline. I've received a lot of questions recently about the research books I use in my writing, particularly for my Faeries and magic. Of course, I make a lot of things up (I am a writer after all) but especially in the Alex Craft novels, I like to incorporate some traditional folklore. And as I can't run off to the UK to hear these stories first hand (those that are left in the oral tradition, that is--so much has been lost). My main source for research is from books.  I've slowly been scanning my research books into goodreads (love their iphone bar-code reader--though some of my books are too old to have bar codes) and I've finally managed to get a decent number of my folklore books scanned into the goodreads system.  Which means I can share them with you!  The ones I recommend most have the highest star ratings, but just because I haven't added stars yet doesn...

Hey everyone. I have two exciting bits of information to share today. The first is that I will be participating in the Booknack's annual Author Festival this Saturday (December 10th). There will be authors signing books throughout the day, and I'm slotted to sign between 5 and 7pm, so if you're in the Rock Hill or surrounding area, I hope to see you there! As my second bit of news, I'm very excited to share that a facebook friend linked me to the German cover for Grave Witch (yes, a friend found it before I did, these things happen).  According to Babel Fish translator, the German title is Of death entices . (If you speak German and that translation is wrong, please let me know as I'm trusting a computer translator and they tend toward unreliable.) I thought that title sounded skeptical. Thank you Mary Lee for the correct translation of the title as Seduced by Death .  (Gee, I wonder which character the German editor likes best. LOL) So what do you think? Per...

Hey everyone. I just found out GRAVE DANCE is in the semifinals of the 2011 Goodreads Choice Awards in the Paranormal Fantasy section! This is apparently the second round of the competition, so everyone who voted in the first--you totally rock! Thank you! The selection in this category is awesome--many of my top favorite authors/books from this year are in there. I can't believe I'm grouped in with such awesome writers! To check out all the nominees and cast your vote, click HERE . (I'm not begging for votes because let's face it, there are lots of really awesome books on the list, but if you read and enjoyed Grave Dance, I'd definitely appreciate the vote!) 2011 Goodreads Choice Awards Vote now for your favorite books! In other news, I saw the cover for Grave Memory today. So pretty. I can't wait until I can share it with you. (Yes, I'm a tease ^_^) Happy Monday everyone!

Every year hoopers celebrate world hoop day by going out to spread the joy of hoop dance to others. While I plan to attend local outreach events in my community, I decided that this year I'd also attempt to reach all of you out in cyber land. So I recorded a  quick video about WHD, why I love hoop dance, and some very basic starting steps for those interested in picking up the best dance partner you'll ever have--a hoop! And, of course, I jam out a little at the end. I hope you enjoy: Happy World Hoop Day everyone!

Things are changing quickly these days. Some of these changes inspire wonder as new technology entertains us or makes our lives easier. Some inspire dread and fear as many of these same changing technologies seem to be the harbinger of destruction for traditions and institutions we've come to know and love. And yet, things have always changed. Perhaps not so quickly as they do now where most high-end tech is outdated within six months of hitting the shelves, but they've always changed. In visual entertainment, reels gave way to Beta to VHS to DVD to Blueray/HD and digital. In music, records gave way to cassette tapes, to CDs, and now to digital. Movies/television and music are two popular de-stressing pastimes most people partake in. Reading is another. Should we be surprised that traditional printed books are also moving toward digital in the form of e-books? The transition between technologies seems to grow ever shorter. I'll admit that though I still have some favori...

Hey everyone. As you've probably noticed, October has been a month full of events for me. I also have a book due in a couple days--talk about being busy. I apologize for not being around as much as normal. I will attempt to get back on a regular blogging schedule soon. Anyway, one of my favorite things to do while at an event is to steal a couple of the other attending writers for a quick chat about their books and ask them for some tips for aspiring authors. At RoundCon last weekend, my victims lovely volunteers included Rachel Aaron and J ohn Hartness . I hope you enjoy!

I know I mentioned RoundCon a few posts back, but I'm giving it another post just in case you are in the area and want to come, but maybe forgot or missed the first post. (Besides, it's not like I'm exactly clogging the blogsphere with posts right now--deadlines and some aspects of my personal life are killing me at the moment, but I'll start blogging regularly as soon as I get caught up on everything. Promise. You'd rather books than blogs, right?) Anyway, RoundCon 2011.1 starts TODAY. The writer's track is new for 2011, so if you're in the Columbia area and want to hear professionals from all different walks of publishing--from nationally bestselling to small press to self published--talk about writing, craft, the business, the market, and I'm sure any topics  you guys might desire us to discuss please make plans to come check out the Con. Seriously, we have several great tracks lined up, but if there is a topic you'd like to know more about or ...

Today I'm wishing a very happy release day to my friend and fellow Magical Words author, A.J. Hartley, for his brand new release  Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact . This book marks the first in a series and AJ's first adventure into middle-grade fiction. I haven't yet had the pleasure to read it, and while middle-grade fiction isn't usually added to TBR, this book certainly sounds intriguing so I plan to pick up a copy soon! AJ sent me some additional information I can share with you guys, so please welcome him to the blog! A. J. Hartley: So you’re a kid: a boy of about 11. You’re in the mall in an unfamiliar city, feeling lost, alone and a bit home sick. You look up and you see a bird in one of the plastic trees. You like birds, so you watch it, trying to figure out what type it is. Then there’s a shadow overhead and the little bird gets hits hard by something much bigger, something hawkish but with leathery bat-like wings and the face of… well, if it was...

I can't believe it's already October. That said, I have two events coming up that I hope I'll be able to see some of you at. Next weekend, October 15th and 16th , I will be in North Carolina for the literary weekend at the Carolina Renaissance Festival . I think this event will be a ton of fun not only because of the great writers I'll be there with, but because, well, it's Ren Faire--how can you go wrong with that? The following weekend, October 21-23 ,  I'll be in Columbia, SC for RoundCon 2011.1 . The writer's track is a relatively new add-on for the convention, so if you have a chance, I hope you'll come check it out. A full schedule of panels is up on the website, but here is my schedule for the con: Friday: Detectives & Mysteries Sex & Violence - Writing Emotional Action Scenes Saturday:   Writing a Series The New World of Publishing Sunday: World-Building Tension - Build it or Break it?   It's going to be a busy ...

I'm getting a lot of emails asking how many books will be in the Alex Craft series. The truth is that the answer hasn't been determined yet. Currently, Roc has me contracted for the first three books, but it is my hope that they will want more books in the series because I have a lot more story to tell. I do have an idea how the series will end, but I don't actually know how many books it will take for me to reach it. Does that make everything as clear as mud? LOL Have a great Tuesday, everyone.

I can't believe Dragon*Con is only 10 days away! This year has gone by fast. At the same time, a lot has happened since last Dragon (and yes, this event is big enough for me that I mark my year by it, lol). Can you believe Grave Witch wasn't yet released last Dragon*con? Now the second book is out too. Unreal. Anyway, for those of you unfamiliar with Dragon*Con, it is the largest sci-fi/fantasy con on the East Coast. It is held over labor day weekend in downtown Atlanta every year and is a huge, four day affair involving just about every type of geekdom out there as well as an amazing music scene, tons guests and about 50k attendees. It is, in a word, amazing. I love it. And this year I'm a guest with an official schedule and everything. In previous years I didn't know what panels I'd be on until I arrived and I missed several of you who were looking for me. This year, look for me here: Title: Spotlight: Witches Description: Explores the role of witches in fa...

A couple quick announcements today. First up is that I have a free short story featuring Alex Craft (main character of GRAVE WITCH and GRAVE DANCE) up over at Dark Fearie Tales as part of the Fantastic Fables event .  I was asked to involve my characters in a well known fairy tale for the event, so this story is slightly outside the cannon of the series, but it was a fun sketch of a scene to write. The story is called Alex Craft and the Gingerbread House .  I hope you enjoy it. In other news, those of you who listen to your books can now enjoy the first two Haven Novels in audio book form! Here are quick links to the audible editions of ONCE BITTEN and TWICE DEAD . Happy Hump day everyone!

Just a quick reminder that tonight is the FANTASTICAL MYSTERY TOUR event at the B&N on Forest Drive in Columbia. This huge, five author event will have two panels, a question and answer session, goodies, a signing, and door prizes--including a FREE NOOK (or equivalent gift card)!  This event also doubles as the official release party for Grave Dance! Event Schedule: 5-6pm: Short panel and an open-forum question and answer with the attendees. 6-7:30pm: Book Signing followed by the drawing for door prizes. 7:30-8pm: short panel geared toward writers and those interested in the writing process. Attending Authors: Rachel Aaron John Hartness Faith Hunter Misty Massey Kalayna Price Sound fun? I hope so! I also hope you'll be able to make it to the event. (Time and location again:  Saturday, July 9th from 5:00-8:00pm at the Barnes and Noble on Forest Drive in Columbia, SC.-- 3400 Forest Drive, Columbia, SC 29204 phone number: 803-787-5600) Also, I've be...

Earlier this week, the head minion had a birthday and to celebrate, we ran off for a day at the beach. While walking down the beach, enjoying the sand squishing under foot and the ebbing waves washing over my ankles, I started to think about what that same beach might be like in Alex's world. In her world, more than likely marrow or mermaids would be out amongst the waves or sunning themselves on the rocks. Depending on which folklore you read, that could be a rather delightful sight, or a very dangerous one as the presence mermaids were often thought to foretell storms. Or, other stories tell of them luring mortals into the ocean where they would then drown them and either eat them or trap their souls in pots far beneath the waves. Very deadly indeed. I then looked toward the land and thought about how in Alex's world the sand dunes would probably be covered in enchantments. Some would be enchantments to prevent erosion of the shoreline, but others would be strong spells mea...

    Release day is finally here! GRAVE DANCE should now be available at all major bookstores and about anywhere books are sold online. Here are some convenient links to online sellers, or check your local brick and mortar store. Amazon Barnes and Noble Book Depository    Books A Million Borders Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy Alex's continuing story! 

To those in the US, Happy 4th of July. I hope you have a fun (and SAFE--please practice fire safety if you are firing fireworks tonight) fourth of July. And speaking of causes for celebration, GRAVE DANCE hits shelves tomorrow ! I can't believe the day is finally almost here. Some of you have let me know that you have already spotted the book on shelves. Thanks for letting me know. I hope you enjoy the Alex's story! Thank you also everyone who helped me spread the word about the release in the "Get the Word Out" contest. It was a big success. Now I think it's time to crank up the random number generator and pull some winners, what do you think? Yeah? Okay. WINNERS (and the randomly drawn entry): - Gabbie (who tweeted about the release) - SJ DRUM (who added the book to her sidebar ) - Ezzie (who tweeted about the release) - Stephanie (who posted on Goodreads) - Ruacach (who reviewed GW on Goodreads ) Congratulations winners!  Please email me at ...

Hey everyone.  Just a quick reminder that today is the last day to enter the Get the Word Out contest . Thank you everyone who has already helped me spread the word about next week's release of GRAVE DANCE ! Winners will be announced next Monday. In other news, today Alex is acting as a tour guide of Nekros City over at All Things Urban Fantasy for the Deadly Destinations tour. I hope that you'll stop by and check it out this insiders tour of the city.

Ten days until Grave Dance hits shelves--It's almost here! I think now is a good time to give things away, what do you think? For my last release, I posted a "get the word out" contest, and you guys were absolutely wonderful about letting people know about the book, so I think I will beg for your help once again--and of course, there will be a chance to win free books! So what am I giving away? Let's have a look: What do you think? Quite a score? I have books from all the authors participating in the Fantastical Mystery Tour, a signed copy from one of my favorite YA authors, and of course, my books. In detail, we have: Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr Mad Kestrel by Misty Massey Skinwalker by Faith Hunter* Hard Day's Knight by John Hartness* Spirit Thief by Rachel Aaron* Once Bitten   Twice Dead Grave Witch (Audio release) Grave Dance (my very last ARC) and finally Grave Dance (mass market) What do you think? See anything you like? Okay, g...

  I can't believe we are at 11 days and counting until the release of GRAVE DANCE. Which means it's time to share the final excerpt from the book. The first section of chapter two is now live on the excerpt page . I hope you enjoy! In the next couple days I'll be announcing my blog tour. Things have been so busy that I'm a bit behind on my scheduling, but be on the look out for dates and locations. And speaking of tours, have you heard about the FANTASTICAL MYSTERY TOUR ? This huge, five author event that will have two panels, a question and answer session, goodies, a signing, and door prizes--including a FREE NOOK (or equivalent gift card)! It will be Saturday, July 9th from 5:00-8:00pm at the Barnes and Noble on Forest Drive in Columbia, SC. This event will also double as the official release party for Grave Dance, so as you can guess, I'm super excited. Here is some more information: Event Schedule: 5-6pm: Short panel and an open-forum question and ...

I have a special guest joining me today on the blog. Please welcome (back) my very fabulous agent who also happens to be an absolutely amazing writer, Lucienne Diver! Turning Myth to Magic Every once in a while in life, someone will say something that really makes you think and becomes incorporated straight into your personal perceptions.   I remember one of those moments in college, when an acquaintance informed me that, “When someone asks how you’re doing, they don’t really want to know.”   From that moment forward, I pretty much stopped sharing, unless I knew the person truly cared about the answer, and it really separated out for me true friends from, well, everybody else.   But the most pivotal of those moments probably came in high school with a friend who lived on the next block.   I remember visiting her house and noticing that the bookshelves in the living room held, among other things, a statue of Vishnu, a common picture from Christianity (I forget...

Writers are readers, first and foremost. A love of reading is what drives most of us to write and to create stories for others to read and enjoy. So, once in a while I like talk about books on my To Be Read (TBR) pile. Before I go on, I have to say that 'pile' is a rather deceptive word. Try TBR bookshelf. Stacked 2 books thick. I'd post a picture, but I'm almost embarrassed by all the books I want to read but haven't had time yet. There are tons of great books hitting shelves, and I just can't keep up. But that doesn't mean I'm not hugely excited about the books, and Amazon just sent me two new releases I absolutely can't wait to dive into. The newest additions to the TBR pile? Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews and Hunt the Moon by Karen Chance. Ironically, both are the 5th books in their respective series--series I absolutely adore! I think both books will be skipping to the front of the TBR pile, so all I have to decide is which to read first. ^_...

[ Edited to add: I almost forgot to mention that my publisher is giving at 15 copies of GRAVE DANCE over at Goodreads . Also , if you have a kindle and haven't tried out the Novels of Haven yet, now is the time! ONCE BITTEN and TWICE DEAD are only 2.99 for a limited time during Amazon's Sunshine Sale (I don't know, I didn't name it. Kita would like to avoid that sunshine, thank you. She, unlike Meyer's vampires, doesn't sparkle. She burns.) Okay, back to the scheduled post!]  I'm back from ConCarolinas, and I had an absolutely amazing time. Hands down, this is always one of my favorite cons--it has been for years (since long before I started hitting the circuit as a guest). Why is it so amazing? The people.  Seriously, the nicest, most amazing writers and readers attend this con. As a full time writer I often feel like a hermit. I occasionally go weeks at a time in which I speak to only one or two other humans. This weekend I was surrounded by int...