GIVEAWAYS + a NEW urban fantasy release
Greetings and salutations from Western Washington, where my wife and I have been sheltering in place with our three daughters since March 12. I hope each of you is healthy and safe! In our case, we are fortunate to have a house with woods nearby where we can banish our noisy children—I mean, gently encourage our kids to explore independent, creative play on their own. I am also lucky to have a writing studio in the backyard. I spend most days there now, working and trying not to obsess about the news while my wife homeschools our 3 kids with the help of socially distanced and literally distant grandparents who have all miraculously managed to master Zoom and Duo. (Thanks, Barb! Seriously…)
 Book news: GIVEAWAY #1
Last week, ACX released Outside the Lines, book 3 in Girls of Summer, on audiobook. You can find it on Audible, Amazon, and Apple Books. As a thank you to you, my list subscribers, I'm running a GIVEAWAY for three copies of the Outside the Lines audiobook. To enter, simply reply to this message.
Also, if you are a first responder, healthcare professional, or other essential worker on the COVID-19 front lines, or if you are experiencing economic hardship due to the pandemic, please let me know and I will shoot a free audio code your way. I have codes available for books 1-4, so just let me know which title(s) you would like to listen to! And thanks for everything you're doing to help the rest of us stay safe.
Please note: I only have codes from Audible for the US and UK store, so if you're from someplace else, let me know and I'll see what I can do.
This giveaway ends at midnight Pacific time on Sunday, April 26. I'll draw the winners on Monday, 4/27, and send a follow-up message with the names. (First names and last initials only, for anyone concerned about privacy!)
Book news: GIVEAWAY #2
In other writing news, I’m getting ready to release… not my queer revision of Austen’s Emma and not book 6 of Girls of Summer, but rather Drum up the Dawn, book one of a new urban fantasy series I’m writing. I was going to do a single novel based on fan fiction I wrote a few years back, but I ended up inventing so much back story and original plotting/characters that now it will be two novels, at least. Maybe three… Sound familiar?
To read the blurb, visit the book page on my Wordpress site. In the meantime, here's the cover.
Drum up the Dawn will be out in a matter of weeks, so I thought I would do a GIVEAWAY for it, too. Because who doesn’t like free books? As above, I'll be giving away three copies of Drum up the Dawn only in ebook format. To enter, simply reply to this message.
Again, if you are a first responder, healthcare professional, or other essential worker on the COVID-19 front lines, or if you are experiencing economic hardship, let me know and I will send you a free ebook of Drum up the Dawn as soon as it’s published. Be sure to let me know which format you would prefer: mobi (Kindle) or epub.
This giveaway also ends at midnight Pacific time on Sunday, April 26. I'll draw the winners on Monday, 4/27, and send a follow-up message then.
Personal News
Content Warning: Mention of dementia and an elderly parent’s death
In other news, as I mentioned in my previous update, my mother’s health declined significantly in the latter half of 2019. She ended up passing away on February 10, 2020, only a few weeks before the pandemic reached the area of Western Washington where we live. In October 2017, I wrote a blog post about her struggle with terminal dementia and her decision to end her life peacefully at home on her own terms. Last month—which feels like it was three years ago, honestly—I published a second blog post about her decision to voluntarily stop eating and drinking, detailing Mom’s incredible strength and bravery in the face of death even as the rest of the family (including me) struggled to let her go.
It may be too much for you right now to read about my mother’s death, given what’s going on with the pandemic, but I wanted to share what to me is a hopeful story in the midst of darkness. My mom’s final journey was peaceful, her last days beautiful and full of love. As my aunt (my mother’s sister) said to my daughters shortly before Mom passed, the only thing that lasts forever is love. And even though I’m not religious, I feel my mother’s spirit is with me still because I can feel her love all around me.
I ended the second blog post about my mother with the lyrics to a Wailin’ Jennys song written by Dolly Parton, “Light of a Clear Blue Morning.” I include those lyrics here not only because they remind me of my mother but also because they feel applicable to the pandemic. I hope they help remind you that the darkness of night is only ever temporary.
Love to you and yours—and don’t forget to send me a note if you're interested in either or both of the giveaways.
Kate
www.katejchristie.com
P.S. Have you been watching Some Good News with John Krasinski on Youtube? Check it out if you haven’t. As John says, no matter how hard things get, there is always good in the world.
Light of a Clear Blue Morning
Written by Dolly Parton
It’s been a long dark night
I’ve been waitin’ for the morning
It’s been a long hard fight
But I can see a brand new day dawning
And I’ve been looking for the sunshine
‘Cause I ain’t seen it in so long
Everything’s gonna work out just fine
Everything’s gonna be all right
That’s been all wrong
‘Cause I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of a brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Everything’s gonna be all right
It’s gonna be okay
It’s been a long, long time
Since I’ve known the taste of freedom
And those clinging vines
That had me bound, well I don’t need ’em
Oh, I’ve been like a captured eagle, you know an eagle’s born to fly
Now that I have won my freedom, like an eagle I am eager for the sky
‘Cause I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of a brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Everything’s gonna be all right
It’s gonna be okay
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