Pages

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Your Help Is Urgently Needed!

Today I received some disheartening news. One of my good friends, Yvette, had been through a horrible Christmas morning. Her house burned down, leaving her and her family without anything over the holidays.

The Red Cross answered their call, providing them with housing for a few days, but her need is great, as herself, her husband and seven children are without housing or clothing, with the exception of the donations of good people like ourselves, that are willing to reach out and provide for a family in great need.

I ask on behalf of these wonderful people, if you could extend a helping hand: clothes for the young children, donations of food or money to get them through this trying time. Even five dollars helps immensely. I know you don’t know them, but Yvette is a wonderful person who has never done wrong to anyone, and she and her family deserve the best of holidays. I have known her for so long, and she is a reviewer at our review site, Siren Book Reviews. Her adoration for the written word made us fast friends, and I even had the chance to have lunch with her during a trip to Florida, with one of her delightful children when he was an infant.

My heart goes out to them, and I hope yours does too. Please share this post, and tell your friends! Please read the following information for donations.

Tomorrow Yvette is going to go out and open a PO Box so I can provide an address to send physical donations. So please keep an eye out for that update. 

For anyone who sends a donation, I offer you one of my e-books of your choice. Send me an e-mail with your chosen title: kaydenmcleod@gmail.com


Yvette’s Paypal address is: ytlowe@gmail.com

Sunday, December 15, 2013

My First YA!


Title: Elemental Earth
Author: Kinsey Knight (My new pen-name for YA)
Website: http://www.kinseyknight.com/home.php
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/kinseyknight
Genre: Fantasy YA

Blurb: 
My name is Trinity Liathain, typical human teenager to many. But reality is I’m a young fae, split between two very different worlds. Just as I find a guy who I can be myself with, my little corner of Blue Cove erupts in drama I’m not prepared for. The gauntlet to a war that shouldn’t be mine is at my door, bringing creatures that terrify and mesmerize me. I’m visited by ancient forces who for some reason, think I’m the answer to another dimension’s problems. They grant me tremendous power to protect myself. From what, you ask? If my short journey through life has taught me anything, it’s that the people closest to you, make the worst enemies.

Excerpt: 
A feather-soft sensation grazed my hand. A long deep breath didn’t fortify me when I craned my neck. I tore my hand away.
        A tarantula the size of a football crawled over my book, clear liquid dripping from its oversized fangs. Where the venom touched, chunks of my book disintegrated.
        The chair careened behind me, as I jumped to my feet. Adrian’s growl shook the windows, the only warning of my stupid mistake. He reached for me too late. Mr. Conevetti’s stick arm shot around my waist, and dragged me over the desk.
        “You can’t ssstop me.” His mechanical screech resonated through my eardrums. “He wantsss her.”
        I choked back a scream as he gave up his glamour, revealing a horrific face caught between an alien and an ant. I flailed, punching him in the neck, shoulder—anything my fist blindly reached. His rock hard exoskeleton prevented his injury. Cuts broke out over my knuckles.
        “Put her down,” Adrian snapped, every pound the Goblin royal.
        “Trinity…” My name coming from those pincers serving for a mouth was the single most horrible thing I’ve ever heard. He hissed at Adrian, who circled us.
        I was not, nor ever would I be a damsel in distress, waiting for her prince to save her. Not in this life time, or the next. I sought any kink in his armor. I elbowed the bug man in the face, gritting my teeth as his pincers sliced into my flesh.
        He released me with a surprised squeal. I landed wrong on my feet. My knees ached, but I ran. My momentum propelled me toward the terminals. I jumped, my foot landing on the chair. I was airborne, flying over the grotesque spider and the computers, thrashing awkwardly on my descent. The back of my head slammed against the opposite terminal, changing my trajectory.  I hit the floor, twisting my ankle. The shock of pain on top of everything else forced a gasp from me.
        The spider dropped, scuttling across the floor.
        “You all right?” Adrian yelled. Under the row of desks, only legs were visible—a pair of jean clad ending in thick biker boots, and two sticks in loafers.
        “I’m good!” I lied through my teeth.
        The spider scurried closer. I ripped a keyboard out of its USB port, wielding it as a weapon. The thing paused.
        “Come on. I don’t have all day.”
        It jerked, as if it understood. It crept around me, I suppose seeking a weak spot. It lunged, and I swung. I hit the rounded, furry body across the room like a baseball. It hit the window with a sickening thump, and didn’t move again. The acidic poison from it fangs ate through the glass in watery line. The rancid smell intensified.
        I peeked over the walls of the desk. Adrian darted and weaved, the skill of a fighter shocking me. Sure, every now and then a guy might scrap, but this was taking it to another level. Mr. Conevetti wasn’t fast enough for him.
        They danced around each other in a primal, masculine array. Adrian bared his teeth. “Trinity, for the love of the Goddess, run!” 

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Contest: Win A Copy of Lost!


More information about the first book in the trilogy, and the up and coming books: http://www.kaydenmcleod.com/BlackbourneCovenSeries.php
The trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPdvLsGnOF8

How to win: Tell me your favorite book you read in 2013 and why. Either leave a comment on this blog post, or e-mail me at: kaydenmcleod@gmail.com

Friday, December 6, 2013

Tales of a Death Trap Tank

Hello Reader,

As some of you may know, I have a passion for all animals, in particular unusual breeds/species.
Five months ago, my husband bought me two Oscars, complete with a ten gallon aquarium—with the firm understanding they would grow to be fifteen inches long. I have always been fascinated with this semi-aggressive, yet personable species. Each have a distinct personality, unlike any fish I have ever owned. I named them Spawn (yes, after the comic book character) and Dread (Judge Dread).

I watched them grow from tiny little one inch fish, into six inches long little devils that darted to the front of the tank the moment I walked by, but hid from most other people. I knew the time for the ten gallon chapter of their lives was over.

About a month ago, right around the time of the move, my husband went out and spent close to three hundred dollars on a fifty-five gallon tank, high grade freshwater sand, and a 100 gallon filter (Oscars are messy, and require a much more advanced filtration system to keep up with their hefty appetites.
By the time I had the second tank up, running and cycled, the move was a shock to my Oscars. Within forty-eight hours, they had both died from a disease that had many similar symptoms of issues I had researched. I was heartbroken.

So the tank sat there for three weeks, empty and unused. Until we unexpectedly had lost another pet—though don’t get me wrong. While the situation was sad, the beautiful baby girl has found her rightful home, and we will never forget her. In a bid to get my mind off of a second loss, my husband took me to Walmart Thanksgiving night, so I might find another Oscar for my tank.

Instead of an Oscar, we found a Dragonfish. An archaic, demonic eel-like-thing with a mouthful of teeth (look them up, you will see what I mean…). Teeth, which had a much too close encounter with my nephew’s hand as he released it into the tank. We watched him zoom around the tank for twenty minutes before we started talking. Not even a few minutes later, I gazed at the tank, to see the Dragonfish on the bottom of the tank, looking remarkably dead.

Now, we were all upset. For some reason I didn’t scoop him out right away. I was a little defeated. A little while later, I walked by again, and there he was, on the other side of the tank, lying on the bottom. I thought this odd, as I have a low-flow filter. A short while later, my husband found him lying on the thermometer. He poked him, and the Dragonfish went crazy.

So, my little demon fish can and does play dead. Very well.

Next day.

He was on the sand of the tank. Except this time, he was very dead.

Now I was befuddled, irritated and determined to find the root problem here. I ripped the innards of the tank apart, cleaned, boiled and sanitized everything…or what I thought was everything. I refilled the tank. Tested the water. My nephew, a greater fishmaster than I tested the water. We came up with perfect water quality.
So I went out, trying to decide what to try next. Then I found a location at work that keeps Parrotfish and Clown Loaches. They are bright, quick and beautiful. So much so, they appear every bit as striking as a saltwater tank. I’d found my goal.

I went out and bought a Clown Loach, and a plecostomus. The latter is a very hardy fish, the former, I wasn’t too sure about. However, the next morning, they too were dead. Next I took water and sand samples to my favorite and most educated source. He too took water samples, and had perfect results. There was NOTHING wrong with the water. It had all the right chemical compounds…

So he sold me four of his cheapest hardiest fish he had in the store. Promised me these zebra tetras had survived some pretty harsh circumstances.

I took them home. All four died within three hours.

That was yesterday. But I have decided I had to have done something wrong. Perhaps, after the Oscars had died in the tank, I hadn’t boiled the sand enough. Or after the Dragonfish died, I hadn’t cleaned the décor well enough. Or I had bought the wrong chemicals…too old perhaps? Not good enough? The water quality was pristine, but if there was a harmful bacteria in the lava rock I’d bought, would that show up in any tests we could afford to do?

Right now, I sit in the middle of chaos. My completely empty tank soaks in a 10% bleach solution. My filter is running hot water and bleach in the sink. The rocks and other décor are put to the far side. They will not touch that tank again, not until I know for sure. We have new, better filter cartridges, yet another sixty dollars in sand, and another sixty in new chemicals that come highly recommended from many sources.
Tomorrow I will buy one more round of test fish, and hope for the absolute best, knowing I have done everything I can do. (Yes, I’m stubborn…but what’s new?)

This is my last shot, before I finally give up, and name this the Cursed Tank. Sounds like it should be from one of my books, but alas, it’s our lives.

Kayden McLeod



Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Spring Is In The Air Blog Hop






Hi Readers!

Welcome to XOXO's Spring is in The Air Blog Hop. I hope you enjoy the array of authors who participated.
Please leave a comment on this post, for your chance to win an e-book copy of one of my XOXO Publishing latest releases, Tarnished Halo.

Cheers,
Kayden

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Serpentine Tongue is now released!




Hey Readers!

I am thrilled to announce Serpentine Tongue has now been released as a single title. This short story will also release in the next couple of weeks in the second annual Threesomed Anthology brought to you by New Dawning International Bookfair.

Watch the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxfo_C6Dibk&sns=fb

Buy-Links: 
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BN8VOWG/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d2_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1WPG6GMDFQ9RJWMS0JV6&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846
All Romance: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-serpentinetongue-1093471-142.html
Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/serpentine-tongue
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/290210
Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Serpentine-Tongue/book-jkVq3PVDIU-X7373qC8d-w/page1.html?s=Vc8-Xf9Q_USeGxBwXffZGQ&r=4
Barnes & Noble; http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/serpentine-tongue-kayden-mcleod/1114770695?ean=2940044346604

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Vitamins, Allergies and Doctors

Hey Readers,

So I've started a vitamin regime. I am horrible with remembering pills. Once a year or so, I will start one, but then forget as other stuff takes precedence in my mind. Such as, I wake up in the morning and check my e-mail before I get out of bed. Some days, I might find a book cover request, or some magical promotion opportunity I have to take, and they need now. By the time I finish, I don’t think about the pills until the next day. Trust me, if I have a migraine, I remember my Advil Migraine. But vitamins? Not so much. Don’t ask me, my mind is a complex anomaly I don’t even begin to understand half the time. 




But, this regime round, I have my husband to make sure I take these wonderful, humongous horse pills. He dishes out the kids medicine in a little cup, and guess what, I get that too. Walla, done deal.

Why don’t vitamin producers make these things into smaller tablets, and instruct you to take two? Is this some conspiracy to take out those of us with a minuscule gag-reflex that is only triggered when a horse pill is involved? I tried to break one in half this morning, and it disintegrated on the counter. I don’t have a proper pill splitter. Well, yet anyway. Just my trusty butter, or butcher knife if I’m desperate. I’m not like my beloved sibling, who chews his pills, because he doesn’t like to swallow them. So I choke these things down every morning one at a time.

I also have to take Zytec every day, not for allergies, but my new Doctor says they will help with my migraines, given that I went from a Canadian weather situation, straight into Louisiana’s humidity.

He also told me I have a cyst growing into my wrist, which is the size of a decent sized marble. Most of my joints hurt/ache since I moved to a new climate anyway, but a cyst? Yay. Not. This makes graphic/digital art interesting to say the least. Sometimes, I can design for a couple of hours before it hurts enough that I have to walk away for a bit. Other times, I can find the right angle and rest my arm on a flat surface while using the mouse and/or drawing pad, and I’m good to go. My appendage is a fickle master (ahem, mistress), indeed>

The doctor told me to get rid of the cyst, I have to go to the Ortho to get a shot of cortisone to see if that breaks it up. If not, then wrist surgery it is. First off, I’m terrified of needles. On yes, and a knife-wielding-Ortho coming anywhere near me. (Can you tell I’ve never broken a bone, or been in for surgery...) Not that thinking about a needle going into a rock-hard foreign object that just happens to be clinging to my writing hand is much better. Suffice to say, I’ve stuck my head in the sand for now. It hasn’t gotten worse in a while, but it hasn’t gotten better yet either.

I will get around to it. I’m assured it isn’t as if my hand is going to fall off, and the doctor didn’t seem too concerned about it. So I continue on my merry way, writing and drawing as much as I can.

Anyway, back to my final draft of my newest writing endeavor, while sitng on the couch in my PJs, with half of my cats..  (But, hey, at leas I'm wearing matching socks today)

Until next time!

Kayden