Alive and Kicking!

Hey everyone!

Long time no speak. This post is for who asked if I was leaving LJ/DW for good and I told her I wasn't and that I would post soon...so here I am, posting.



What's been going on:

Health - I had my bilateral mastectomy back in January. They did find breast cancer (stage 0/stage 1) in BOTH breasts, so having them do both sides was obviously a good decision. I go in for my final reconstruction surgery at the end of July. Based on the size and staging of the tumors and a lengthy discussion with the oncologist we decided simply taking Tamoxifen was the best course of action. I'll be on it for 5-10 years. The only 'side effect' I've experienced so far has been fatigue, and frankly most of that can be attributed to the significant iron deficiency I developed post surgery. So now I'm on iron pills LOL.

Work - One of the nurses I work with left for another job closer to her house and I was given the opportunity to absorb her hours into my schedule. It's not much money but it IS money coming and I'm happy, hubby is happy that I'M happy so any search for a new job has been temporarily suspended. Which also makes me happy :D

Family - School is over, it turned out to be an AMAZING year so we're happy about that. My in-laws are taking the entire family (us & my sister-in law's family & my MIL's sister) to the UK for two weeks - we'll spend time in London, Scotland, Wales (YES I'M GOING TO IANTO'S SHRINE!!!!!) and then back through other parts of England. After that trip the kid will be going to spend some time with my parents while the hubs and I go back to work.

Writing - I have not written anything significant. There have been a few spurts here and there, but nothing concentrated. HOWEVER - With Lillian Francis' encouragement, I've started making plans to self-publish ALL my old short stories in two single-author anthologies. It will be quite a while before they come out seeing as how I'm just now in the planning stages, but it is in the works. And again thanks to her encouragement along with LJ Hamlin I am FINALLY back into editing one of my completed novels. I'm making NO estimates as to when I might be submitting it, I'm still trying to find my footing, but at least I'm working on it. So there's that.

It feels really good to be writing/editing again. I feared it would never come back. I'm still only editing, but I'm hopeful that eventually I will be actively writing again. I went through my WIP folder and there are so many WIPs that I'm hopeful once I get my feet wet with this editing that something will inspire me.

And finally - I want to thank all of you for your prayers, your well wishes, your thoughts, and your support. This has been a really hard time for the Thrace family and I wouldn't have made it through without my friends. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

I'll check back in probably in August after my surgery.



Have a great summer!

<3333
Katherine H (Thrace)

Sales and Freebies!

Just popped in to let you all know of some sales and some FREEBIES!

First, ARE is having a MASSIVE October Giveaway! They are giving away loads of books, swag, gift certificates, etc, to random customers at check out. I am an official sponsor and donated several copies of Cast The First Stone and Fixing The Hole. So run over to http://allromanceebooks.com/ buy some books and see if you are one of the lucky winners!

I'm supposed to link via the picture, but I don't know how to do that, so I'll post the picture at the bottom LOL.

Also, starting October 15 and running until the end of the month, All Romance Ebooks will be offering a special 25% rebate for all Torquere titles! I got my start with them, you can get several short stories and of course my novella, Cast The First Stone! So run over there! You might win something and you'll save some money!

Now for non-promo stuff...writing is going VERY SLOWLY /o\ I almost have no energy most days, it's so weird. Maybe I'm pushing too hard at the gym, who knows, but I'm trying. A few hundred words at a time. RL is keeping me SUPER busy so there's that too.

Hope all is well.

Now go buy and SAVE!

<3333 Katherine

Tired Tuesday

Ha, so Manic Monday turned into Tornado Tuesday.

Life has gotten super busy now that school is back in. We have choir, and soccer, and job searching, and parent volunteering to coordinate. We also have pending repairs on our house (LOTS of pending repairs) and frankly, I'm exhausted.

Social Media is contributing to this exhaustion. There are some nights I just don't even feel like turning on my Mac. Which should tell you how tired I am.

I know this blog has been sporadic over the summer and it's about to get even more sporadic, because, at the suggestion of a friend, in an effort to get my writing mojo back, I'm taking a hiatus. Which means, I'm only going to post when I feel like it and it certainly won't be the regularly scheduled three posts a week, because I just can't.

I will be around on Twitter - fannish stuff you can find @Thraceadams, author stuff you can find @Katherinehalle. But I'm probably only going to do that when I feel like it as well (although more than here).

Hope everyone has a great week and a fantastic fall season!

<333
Katherine

Fun Friday...so to speak

Hey everyone,

Just a brief update.

I have finally started writing again. Attempting a short to submit for Dreamspinner. It's kind of a hot mess right now and I'm not even sure how to end it so hopefully Button can work some magic just like always. Hot mess aside, at least I wrote something, mostly, hopefully if I just keep plugging away the hot messiness will go away LOL.

Hubs is back from his two week TAD, so that's good. Everyone is thrilled. The dog wouldn't leave him alone and the kid never stopped talking LOL.

School has started and mini-minion is loving it so that is a relief.

House is still in need of repair but we are optimistic. And I'm still looking for a job and still optimistic about that as well.

And that is the state of Thrace and family.

Hope all is well with you. Have a great weekend!

<333
Katherine

Release Day!! Finding Home

Hey all!

I'm actually a day late /o\ blame it on summer vacay, ants, a house in dire need of repair, and a hubs that has just started a six week (not all in one go) round of travel.

ANYWAY! First Timers is out from Torquere! WOO HOOOOO It includes my little story, Finding Home. CHECK IT OUT!

Blurb:

Brian and Duncan are werewolf shifters who have lived their lives on the road, never settling down in any one place. They’ve been invited to celebrate Beltane with René LeClaire, the Alpha gator shifter they ran afoul of last year when they camped on his land without permission. After accepting the invitation and having lunch with both René and his second Lexa, they follow them out to join René’s pack in the Bayou for what can only be described as a Bacchanalia, complete with food, wine, naked dancing around a Maypole, and of course sex. Because a Beltane celebration wouldn’t be complete without it. Before the night is over Duncan and Brian find themselves in their first ever threesome with René and with an invitation to stay and make the Bayou their home.

Buy Link for Finding Home: At Torquere

Amazon and ARE to come later.

Blurb for First Timers Anthology:

First Timers brings you a collection of eleven stories about first experiences. From sweet and innocent to smoking hot, these stories capture the exhilarating feeling that something wonderful is about to happen.

Humor and passion blend in Rob Rosen’s “Come Hell or High Water,” Gacy Grant treats us to a heartwarming first in “The Pickup,” long-time friends become lovers in “The King’s Guard” by Evelyn Burkhardt and “One Sneeze, a Wish, Two Sneezes, a Kiss” by Jacey Mills, and revelations abound first time away from home in Andrea Dalling’s “What a Man Wants” and Helena Maeve’s “Initiation.” “Sample and Hold” by Erin McRae and Racheline Maltese, Megan McFerren’s “Just Like That,” and Val Prozorova’s “Guitar Lesson” explore the intensity of a first coming out, first time, first kiss, while love can be found where you least expect it in “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” by McKay and “Finding Home” by Katherine Halle.

Whether contemporary or fantastical, past or present, a sweet kiss on a riverbank or reveling in the Bayou, these stories are all uplifting, fun, and did we mention hot?

Buy Links:

At Torquere

At ARE

Amazon Coming Soon.

Cover Art:




Also, if you get the chance, take a look at my friend LJ Hamlin's Pale Light, her first M/M/M and it's SHIFTERS. You can find more out here: At Torquere

AND as a bonus for those of you that read this far, you can get 35% off using the code BTS2015 during checkout! GO SAVE MONEY AND BUY BOOKS!

That's all for now.

<3333
Katherine

Just Another Manic Monday

Hi!

Long time no see! We are mostly settled in, meaning, we are unpacked and have most of the stuff put away and pictures up on the walls. The hubs still has to finish 'his' wall, and the 'library' still needs things on the walls (but those have yet to be framed so....)

As some of you know, the renters & rental management company were NOT kind to our house and we have a LOT Of repairs to do. Which would be fine if they had come one at a time over the last five years? But yeah, no, so, I'm job hunting which is taking the majority of my time so my writing & editing has taken a SEVERE backseat. I'm still doing it, but yeah, I need to find a job that will be a steady paycheck so...sacrifices have been made. I do have a short story coming out this month, the 17th, I believe. More about that later this week, maybe?

I can't really tell you what I'm going to work on, because I haven't exactly figured out which story/stories to prioritize when I do, I'll let you know.

That all said, Congrats go out to my fellow author Lillian Francis who is self-publishing a novel that was originally published elsewhere, it has a GORGEOUS new cover, she's doing a blog tour and everything!!! I'm copying her info below, go check it out.

Have a great Monday and I'll hopefully see you later on in the week!

<333
Katherine

TITLE: Lovers Entwined

AUTHOR: Lillian Francis

PUBLISHER: Finally Love Press

COVER ARTIST: Meredith Russell

LENGTH: 98,950 words

RELEASE DATE: August 3, 2015

BLURB: Ewan Matthews is one of Boston’s leading genealogy experts. When a would-be bridegroom comes looking for confirmation that there are no skeletons in his ancestral closet, Ewan considers turning the job down. Trey Capell is a jerk of the highest order and yet Ewan experiences an infuriating attraction that’s easy to justify. Trey’s exactly his type—a carbon copy of the man Ewan’s been looking for his entire life.

Harder to explain is the sense of recognition that leaves Ewan speechless the moment Trey steps into his office. Or the stomach-churning sensation at the thought of casting the job aside. Trey gets more appealing by the day, leaving Ewan struggling with forbidden desire for his client. Desire not helped by strange voyeuristic dreams that have started to haunt his sleep. Dreams that appear to be an echo of the past.

Purchase links for Lovers Entwined. 

Amazon US 
Amazon UK 
ARe 

The price will be going back up to $3.99 at some point today it just depends on how quick each of the particular sites are, at the moment they all still stand at $2.99.

Quickie Update

Hi all,

Just wanted to check in and let you know I'm still alive!

We are moved in, mostly settled, still have some work to do, still getting used to the new/old place. My kitchen is smaller so there's that :( And after five years of renters our townhouse is in desperate need of some TLC which we can't really do right now (too much all at once) so we'll have to take one thing at a time. Including me getting a job O__O - prayers, well wishes, whatnot for that would be appreciated.

I do have another short story/anthology coming out in August with Torquere. It's the First Timer's Anthology and my story is called Finding Home - my first time writing a M/M/M story O__O. Also, it's shifters :D

I really need to update my what I'm reading list because there's a lot, but that'll be for another week.

Hope all is well.

<333
Katherine